DOT Preparing For Spring Litter Sweep

The NC Department of Transportation is preparing for its 2007 Spring Litter Sweep, which will be held April 14 through April 28. During the statewide litter sweep, DOT maintenance crews, Adopt-A-Highway groups, Department of Correction inmate crews, community service workers and other volunteers will take to the highways to remove roadside litter. “Roadside litter is an ongoing problem throughout North Carolina , and litter sweeps play an important role in our efforts to maintain the condition of our highways,” said Transportation Secretary Lyndo Tippett. “The efforts of all our crews and volunteers to make North Carolina a cleaner and safer place to live are greatly appreciated.” NCDOT’s Office of Beautification Programs will coordinate the work of volunteers from Adopt-A-Highway groups, garden clubs, civic groups and other community organizations during the two-week cleanup. Anyone who wants to participate is asked to contact their local NCDOT county maintenance office in advance for supplies such as safety vests, gloves and orange trash bags. The Highway Patrol will also be on alert and policing the roadways for those who litter during the sweep. Littering is an illegal, fineable offense that can entail community service work and a point on the offender’s driver license upon conviction. Fines can cost up to $2,000 and may double upon a second conviction. Participants are reminded to warm up by stretching before picking up litter and to drink plenty of water during the cleanup. A second litter sweep is also held in the fall of each year during the last two weeks of September.

A large piece of plastic was spotted alongside Industrial Park Drive in Smithfield last week. A Spring Litter Sweep will be held April 14-28.