The short street, previously known as Aurora Avenue N, runs directly under the Aurora Bridge. Council member Dick Selin said the main reason for the name change was to stop confusion between the bridge and the street under it.
The sculpture, described by The Seattle Times as a "Volkswagen-clutching denizen that lives under the Aurora Bridge," was commissioned in 1989 by the Fremont Arts Council to "do something more imaginative with the space ... than letting it turn into an urban grotto and tire dump" ("Urban Myths"). Community members voted on models created by five finalists. The Troll created by a team led by sculptor Steve Badanes was the overwhelming favorite. The sculpture, completed in seven weeks, is made from rebar steel, wire and two tons of ferroconcrete.
