by If you’ve driven along Highway 41 near McKinley Avenue lately — especially close to the First Street connection — you may have noticed something unusual happening—which began several months ago—on a small wedge of land that has long been overlooked. What used to be a bare patch of dirt and grass next to the on‑ramp is being reshaped into a landscaped garden and micro‑park, bringing new life to a space most people only sped past. According to local reporting, Caltrans is installing gardens, murals, benches, and seating areas along this stretch of Highway 41 and McKinley Avenue, which will be known as the McKinley Peace Garden. But why? This effort aligns with the agency’s statewide beautification initiative, which focuses on reclaiming small parcels of land near freeways and turning them into community‑friendly spaces. This will be just one of several similar locations that already exist somewhere in Fresno—situated somewhere close to the highway bridges.
