The city of Austin covered the “TEXAS” street mural on Guadalupe Street in front of the University of Texas at Austin campus overnight with a mixture of gravel and oil, according to Jeff Stensland, the public information officer for Austin Transportation & Public Works.
The mural’s removal, first reported by The Daily Texan, UT’s student newspaper, occurred between 3 and 6 a.m., Stensland said. The removal came after Gov. Greg Abbott directed the Texas Department of Transportation to eliminate “non-standard surface markings, signage and signals” in October.
The mural was first installed in May 2024 to celebrate the Longhorns’ joining the Southeastern Conference. In May, the Texas Department of Transportation rejected the city of Austin’s appeal to preserve the street art.
Austin removed multiple other street murals early Thursday morning. Cities across the state have removed their murals to comply with Abbott’s directive. In Houston, Montrose’s rainbow crosswalks were removed in October.