Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com


Livingston County motorists and others are advised to be on the lookout for volunteers who will be working on roadsides alongside traffic for the state’s final Adopt-A-Highway cleanup of the year.

Before the leaves start to turn and fall, the Michigan Department of Transportation says thousands of volunteers will fan out across the state to collect litter along highway roadsides starting this Saturday. The cleanup will continue through Sunday, October 2nd and marks the third and final scheduled pickup period of the year.

Every year, Adopt-A-Highway volunteers regularly collect more than 60,000 bags of trash. The popular program began in Michigan in 1990 and has grown to involve more than 2,900 groups cleaning more than 6,000 miles of highway.

Local motorists are advised to be on the lookout for the groups as they clean the roadsides. When working in a highway right of way, the volunteers wear high-visibility, yellow-green safety vests required by federal regulations. MDOT provides free vests and trash bags, and arranges to haul away the trash.

Getting involved in the program is said to be straightforward. Volunteers include members of civic groups, businesses and families. Crew members have to be at least 12-years-old and each group must include at least three people. Groups are asked to adopt a section of highway for at least two years.

There is no fee to participate and Adopt-A-Highway signs bearing group names are posted along the stretches of adopted highway.

MDOT says sections of highways are available for adoption all over the state. Interested groups can get more information via the provided link.