MILWAUKEE COUNTY — The Milwaukee County Highway Department has launched its major spring cleanup effort to pick up litter and debris from the side of roadways.
During the month of April, at least half of the department's workforce, or about 50 of the 100 employees, are dedicated to picking up trash during this time. It's a massive undertaking, and every year the department picks up about 2 million pounds of garbage.
"Our crews do the picking of the trash around and the litter and you typically have a night crew come in with larger trucks and pick up all the garbage on the side of the road - the garbage bags that is," said Eduardo Santiago, Milwaukee County Highway Director.
Next week, the team will downsize to about three to six crew members focusing on trash pickup. The rest will work on a variety of other projects from road, bridge, and interstate repairs.
Although the crew size will decrease after May 1st, it's still crucial to exercise caution when passing by maintenance trucks.
"When you see the workers out there, stay clear of those zones and give them room. It should be like any emergency vehicle out there: slow down or move over," said Santiago.
Kevin Beasley has worked for the county for three years and primarily works along I-41/US45. He said by giving extra space and slowing down, drivers can make the crew feel more comfortable and safer when working near the roadways.
"We have our safety vest on, but if they see us, just slow down and give us a little room," said Beasley.
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