DOVER, Del.- In 2018, the Old Lebanon Road overpass was dedicated to fallen service member Elizabeth Loncki. Now, a new chapter of the tribute is unfolding, this time through paint.
Snr. Airman Loncki held the somber distinction of being the first Delaware woman to lose her life during Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2007.
Today, artist Christian Kanienberg, commissioned by the Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT), is painting an American flag mural on both sides of the bridge in her honor.
"Typically, I always design what I paint, and because I didn't design this, finding out this is a memorial piece really makes it special," Kanienberg explained.
According to DelDOT, every Route 1 overpass is getting a fresh paint job, but this one will stand apart from all the rest.
As they drive beneath the overpass, many Dover community members appreciate the heartfelt salute to Dover Air Force Base and its heroes.
"Dover Air Force Base is what runs Dover, runs a lot of Delaware, to be honest. So whenever I see big projects like that, especially for the community, it always has a special place in my heart," said Dover native Nathaniel.
Kanienberg asks drivers to show some extra caution near the area.
"It can be scary," he said. "It'll be scarier when they have to close the lanes for work in the middle because some people are really fearless and distracted."
Weather permitting, the mural should be complete by the end of October. Loncki, a New Castle native, was 23 when she was killed in combat.
