VDOT News - Fredericksburg

FREDERICKSBURG, Va. – Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) crews joined by elected officials, local government staff and community volunteers collected more than 590 bags of trash along Fredericksburg area roadways during the three-day “Beautify the ‘Burg” litter collection effort in April.

This partnership was intended to inspire travelers and area residents to properly dispose of waste and keep Virginia’s roadsides clean.

“Litter is everyone’s problem. It affects our environment, economy, safety and quality of life,” said VDOT Fredericksburg Resident Engineer Kyle Bates, P.E. “We need everyone’s help to keep our roads, medians, shoulders and sidewalks litter-free, allowing our crews to concentrate on other highway maintenance priorities.”

Littering is not only a maintenance challenge, it’s illegal. Littering or dumping trash is a Class 1 misdemeanor, punishable with a fine up to $2,500 and/or 12 months in jail.

With the majority of roadside litter coming from travelers, VDOT started the Virginia is for Lovers, Not Litter, campaign last fall. The campaign encourages Virginians to take a No Love for Litter Pledge and get involved with opportunities to reduce the amount of trash and debris along state-maintained roads.

Residents, businesses and organizations can:
• Join the Adopt-a-Highway program, volunteering to clean litter on Virginia roadways
• Sponsor a segment of highway for clean-up through VDOT’s Beautify Virginia program
• Visit agency partner Keep Virginia Beautiful to discover ways to keep the Commonwealth clean

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VDOT’s 14-county Fredericksburg District includes the counties of Caroline, King George, Spotsylvania and Stafford in the Fredericksburg area; Northumberland, Richmond, Lancaster and Westmoreland counties in the Northern Neck; Essex, Gloucester, King & Queen, King William, Mathews and Middlesex counties in the Middle Peninsula.

Information in VDOT news releases was accurate at the time the release was published. For the most current information about projects or programs, please visit the project or program Web pages. You may find those by searching by keyword in the search Virginia DOT box above.