APPLETON (NBC 26) — Along the stretch of I-441 near Newberry St., it’s anything but beautiful—trash, dead plants, and other unsightly elements litter the area. Today I did some digging to find out who’s responsible for cleaning up the mess.
- Residents in the Fox Valley are frustrated with trash and dead plants piling up along Highway 441
- WisDOT says highway cleanups typically happen just once a year due to weather, manpower, and efficiency challenges
- Officials urge the public to take responsibility and remind littering can lead to hefty fines
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
As trash continues to pile up near Highway 441 in the Fox Valley, residents have been sharing their thoughts online.
“It’s interesting the condition of certain sections of 41 and 441,” Dave Froelich said in a Facebook comment. “It seems like highways do not get cleaned very often.”
Paula Jansen also commented, saying, “Pretty much any on-off ramp. Sad. Gotta raise kids to not litter.”
Doug Wiegand is the Northeast Region Roadway Maintenance Engineer for the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. He says cleanups typically happen once a year.
“When it comes up in the spring of each year, we try to address that with the county highway departments,” Wiegand explained. “So like I said, it happens one time per year.”
Wiegand pointed to challenges like weather, limited manpower, and efficiency as reasons for the annual schedule. Still, he acknowledged that not all roads require the same level of attention.
“I know that locations we have around the region probably require a little more pickup,” Wiegand said. “So we try to address that and get that done.”
He also emphasized that it’s a community effort, urging the public to do its part.
“Please be responsible and try to keep the highways clean because basically we are trying to do our best effort,” he added.
WisDOT reminds everyone that trash doesn’t just go away when you throw it out the window. Littering along the highway can also result in hefty fines if you’re caught.
