ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Florida Department of Transportation has denied the City of St. Pete's request to keep several pieces of artwork on its roadways.

The city wrote a letter to the FDOT on Wednesday, asking to keep five street murals from being removed. Late Friday afternoon, the FDOT denied the city's request.

The backstory:

Governor Ron DeSantis signed Senate Bill 1662 into law in June. FDOT Secretary Jared Perdue described the bill as an effort to keep transportation facilities free and clear of political ideologies.

FDOT is ordering cities and counties to identify and potentially remove artwork on roadways that may violate state traffic control guidelines. State officials have said "non-standard surface markings" can cause distractions or misunderstandings on the road

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