Chocolay Area Business Association adopted two miles of M-28 near U.S. 41. (Journal file photo)

MARQUETTE ­- Motorists should be on the lookout beginning Saturday as Adopt-A-Highway volunteers fan out across Superiorland and elsewhere to pick up litter from the sides of the roadways.

Participants in the Michigan Department of Transportation program will clean highway roadsides from July 12-20 during the second of three scheduled pickups this year. The first took place several months ago and the third is scheduled for the fall, from Sept. 20 to 28, said Dan Weingarten, MDOT Superior Region communications representative. There are 600 active groups in the Upper Peninsula and 2,600 statewide, that will be involved, he said.

“From Ironwood to the Soo, motorists are asked to exercise caution,” Weingarten said.“There are going to be a lot of those yellow-green vests around.”

According to MDOT, the popular Adopt-A-Highway program began in Michigan in 1990. Today, 35 years later, around 2,600 groups have adopted more than 6,000 miles of state highway. Last year alone, these volunteers collected more than 36,000 bags of trash.

Getting involved in Adopt-A-Highway isn’t difficult, Weingarten said. Volunteers include members of civic groups, businesses and families and one group has been at it for 30 years. 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. Adopt-A-Highway signs bearing group names are posted along the stretches of adopted highway.

When working in a highway right-of-way, Adopt-A-Highway 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, MDOT said.

Sections of highway are available for adoption all over the state, he said. Interested groups can get more information on joining the program at www.Michigan.gov/AdoptAHighway.

Bud Sargent can be reached at 906-228-2500, extension 544. His email address is bsargent@miningjournal.net.