ALDOT spends $9.4 million on litter cleanup, delaying road safety upgrades
Alabama DOT‘s annual litter cleanup costs surge, diverting road improvement funds, with 9.4Mspentin2024—up500K from 2023—despite staff, contractors, and volunteers.
The Alabama Department of Transportation continues to spend more each year on litter removal, diverting funds from critical road improvement projects.
In 2024, ALDOT spent more than $9.4 million statewide cleaning up trash along Alabama's roadways—a $500,000 increase from the nearly $9 million spent in 2023. In 2022, the cost was $7 million.
"ALDOT's mission is to maintain and improve roads, not trash collection," the department said in a statement. "However, the increasing amount of litter can be a road safety issue, so ALDOT employees spend a significant amount of time picking up litter."
The department not only relies on its employees but also contracts with private companies to remove trash from interstates and state roads and coordinates with volunteers through the Adopt-A-Mile program.
Pic:pixabay
