By Staff
Passing a beautiful country scene, with horses grazing in a field, might be marred by fast food wrappers lying along the roadside.
This weekend as many as 27,000 volunteers are expected to help keep Michigan's scenic peninsulas looking great during the second of three annually designated Adopt-A-Highway pickup periods from July 14-22.
"Road construction workers won't be the only orange-vested forces out there helping to improve Michigan roads. Motorists should exercise the same caution and slow down where they see litter crews pitching in as well," said state Transportation Director Kirk T. Steudle.
"Everyone can help keep Michigan's roadsides clean by properly disposing of trash, removing loose items from the beds of pickup trucks and securing and covering cargo," Steudle said.
It doesn't take long to check for items which might fly out and land by the side of the road.
Also, keep that bag of food wrappers in your vehicle until you reach your designation and throw it out properly.
According to the Michigan Department of Transportation, the statewide litter beautification program, now in its 18th season, has approximately 2,500 groups which pick up litter three times a year along 10,000 miles of state roadsides.
Volunteers are expected to fill 20,000 bags of trash over the nine-day period.
Current volunteers include members of various civic organizations, churches, labor unions, corporations, government employees and family members honoring a loved one.
There are several two-mile sections of state highway available for adoption. For information about how you can become involved, visit the Michigan Department of Transportation Web site at www.michigan.gov/adoptahighway.