LANSING, MI — This year’s first Adopt-A-Highway trash pickup starts Saturday in Michigan. In an annual rite of spring, volunteers will fan out across lower Michigan to give state highway roadsides their first cleaning, beginning Saturday as groups in the Michigan Department of Transportation. The first of three cleanups will run April 13 to 21.
“Our Adopt-A-Highway volunteers come back year after year to keep roadsides in their communities clean,” said Brad Wieferich, MDOT state transportation director. “Some of these groups have been with the program since it started more than 30 years ago. We want to thank them for their hard work and remind everyone to help them stay safe. Please drive cautiously during the pickup periods and watch out for them on the roadside.”
The AAH program began in Michigan in 1990. Today, around 2,900 groups have adopted more than 6,000 miles of state highway. In a typical year, these volunteers collect 60,000 to 70,000 bags of trash annually, an estimated $5 million value for the state.
Volunteers pick up litter three times each year. Statewide, there will be a summer pickup from July 13 to 21 and a fall pickup from Sept. 21 to 29.
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