Flaking Orange Paint from 28th Street Bridge Littering Falls Road, Jones Falls

Paint chips and pulverized orange dust from the underside of the 28th Street Bridge have been found across Falls Road, along the Jones Falls Trail and floating in the Jones Falls, city and environmental observers reported after on-site inspections on Feb. 7, 2026. City officials said they do not believe the flakes contain lead, and the Maryland Department of the Environment is now testing samples.

Photographs taken at the scene show bright orange undersides exposed where the outer layer has peeled. "Pieces of whitish paint are peeling away, revealing a bright orange underside." Observers described flakes orange on one side and white on the other, with at least one specimen large enough that "some of them peels the size of your forearm." Images credited to Fern Shen show paint chips draped in bushes, sitting on crusty snow, pulverized on the roadway, sprinkled along the bike trail and floating in the stream.

The affected stretch lies below the 28th Street Bridge roughly between the Potts & Callahan facility at 2801 Falls Road and the Baltimore Department of Transportation maintenance yard at 2601 Falls Road. The Jones Falls Trail runs between the roadway and the stream bank at the site. Though the trail was noted as "filled with snow" at the time of observation, it is a popular route for birdwatchers, bikers and joggers and now contains visible flakes and orange dust in puddles below the bridge. Photographs include the caption, "Large paint chip collected today near the Jones Falls along Falls Road."

Alice Volpitta, Baltimore Harbor Waterkeeper for Blue Water Baltimore, visited the spot after being alerted by local reporting and "was struck by the extent of it." Volpitta said she was most worried about the potential impact on the Jones Falls if the chips turn out to contain lead or other hazardous material.

The appearance of the chips prompted immediate comparisons to a 2022 incident in which lead paint flakes fell from Baltimore’s TV Tower. "The chips resemble the lead paint flakes that fell in 2022 from Baltimore’s TV Tower," an observation reflected in community concern. At this point, officials caution that laboratory results are pending. "City officials do not believe they contain lead, but MDE is now testing them."

For neighbors, trail users and river stewards, the unfolding tests will determine whether any cleanup or public health advisories are required. Baltimore residents can expect follow-up from city agencies and the Maryland Department of the Environment once test results are available, and local watershed groups are monitoring the Jones Falls for spread of the material and any downstream impacts.