Be Observant- Folks Are Out Cleaning Our Highways

The Idaho Transportation Department wants to warn you to be alert while driving area highways this fall, because there are a lot of people out cleaning up the roadways. Folks who take part in the 'Adopt-A-Highway' program are asked to clean up litter twice a year, usually in the spring and fall. That means now is the time of year when many of them are out.

There are 182 groups cleaning 329 miles of roadway on the state highway system in the five northern counties of Idaho. These volunteers save Idaho taxpayers thousands of dollars each year, by allowing ITD to use its limited resources to efficiently maintain and operate the state's highways.

In 2009, more than 1,900 participants spent approximately 4,000 hours picking up trash. That amounted to 3,461 sacks, or 120,645 pounds of litter. If you'd like to join them by adopting a highway, call Adopt-A-Highway District Coordinator Diane Dubos at 208-772-1297.