LANSING, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — Be on the lookout this weekend for folks wearing those highly visible yellow-green safety vests walking along your local highway. Volunteers will be fanning out across lower Michigan to give state highway roadsides their annual spring cleaning.
The Michigan Department of Transportation’s Adopt-A-Highway program set to run from Saturday, April 23rd to Sunday May 1st, with the first clean-up to start a bit later for the U.P. on Saturday, May 7th.
The MDOT program takes place in three phases throughout the year, spring, summer, and fall welcoming volunteers from various civic groups, businesses and families with a minimum group size of three people.
Around 2,900 groups have adopted more than 6,000 miles of state highway since the program began in 1990, with volunteers collecting up to 60 to 70 thousand bags of trash annually, giving the state an estimated value of $5 million dollars.
“We want to acknowledge the valuable service these thousands of Adopt-A-Highway volunteers provide each year keeping our roadsides clean,” said State Transportation Director Paul C. Ajegba. “Their commitment to their communities makes a huge difference across Michigan. We also remind motorists to keep an eye out for the volunteers and drive cautiously during the pickup periods.”
Several landfills in southwestern Michigan are also chipping in to help the AAH program. Westside Landfill in St. Joseph County, C&C Landfill in Calhoun County, Orchard Hill Landfill in Berrien County, Southeast Berrien County Landfill near Niles, and Republic Services Gembrit Circle Transfer Station in Kalamazoo have all agreed to accept trash generated by the three annual AAH pickups at no charge. In exchange, these businesses receive a sign recognizing their support.
MDOT says that sections of highway are still available for adoption, and there is no fee to participate.
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