LANSING, MI — It’s one of the annual signs of fall; leaves turn, temperatures start to get cooler and thousands of Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) Adopt-A-Highway volunteers fan out across the state to collect litter one final time for the year.
The third and final scheduled pickup period of 2026 runs from Saturday, Sept. 19, through Sunday, Sept. 27.
About 2,600 groups have adopted more than 6,000 miles of state highway through the program. An estimated 19,000 participants collected almost 40,000 bags of trash from roadsides during the three annual pickup periods in 2025.
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, according to MDOT. Groups are asked to adopt a section of highway for at least two years. There is no fee to participate. Adopt-A-Highway signs bearing group names are posted along the stretches of adopted highway.
Adopt-A-Highway volunteers always 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.
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