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Adopt-A-Highway

"A roadside Adopt‑A‑Highway sign stands beside a curving highway bordered by autumn trees. The sign displays two green tree icons above a stylized road with the text 'ADOPT‑A‑HIGHWAY' and 'MDOT.' Below, a panel reads: 'Next 2 miles Shelby State & Gales Agency.' The background shows a vehicle on the road and colorful fall foliage.

Adopt-A-Highway

A screenshot of the Adopt-A-Highway location map showing the available (in green) and unavailable (in blue) sections of highways and carpool lots.

Locate a highway to adopt

Be a highway hero and adopt a highway or carpool lot!

About the program

Adopt-A-Highway (AAH) is an MDOT program designed to help keep the state's highway roadsides clean and attractive. Participants adopt both sides of a section of state highway roadside to clean up for at least a two-year period. A minimum two-mile stretch of roadway is recommended. All types of state highways may be adopted, including two-lane roads, limited access highways, boulevards and business routes.

Since 1990, AAH local groups have collected over a million bags of trash. Currently 2,900 groups are participating in the program and have adopted over 6,000 miles of Michigan highways.

Media inquiries: Contact Dan Weingarten at 906-485-6322, ext. 136.

Program information

  • Group of Adopt-A-Highway (AAH) volunteers wearing high‑visibility safety vests gathered beneath an AAH sign for a group photo.

    2027 pickup dates

     Spring

    • Lower Peninsula: April 10-18, 2027
    • North and Superior Regions: May 15-23, 2027
      • This includes the entire Upper Peninsula and the following counties in the northern Lower Peninsula: Alcona, Alpena, Antrim, Benzie, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Crawford, Emmet, Grand Traverse, Iosco, Kalkaska, Lake, Leelanau, Manistee, Mason, Missaukee, Montmorency, Ogemaw, Osceola, Oscoda, Otsego, Presque Isle, Roscommon and Wexford.

     Summer 

    • Statewide (all counties): July 10-18, 2027

     Fall

    • Statewide (all counties): Sept. 18-26, 2026    
  • Blue Adopt-A-Highway sign featuring MDOT's swoosh logo and the Cowdrey family names.

    Sign replacement

    MDOT is in the process of updating AAH signs across the state.

    • New signs will be installed gradually as part of ongoing maintenance and improvement efforts.
    • Older signs will be replaced during scheduled road projects, sign replacement work, knockdowns or when sponsoring groups change.
    • When an older AAH sign is replaced, all corresponding signs for that segment will be updated to ensure consistency.
  • AAH volunteers pose for a photo before picking up litter from the highway.

    Volunteers

    Every year, volunteers collect over 60,000 bags of trash from Michigan roadsides, helping keep communities cleaner and supporting MDOT crews in maintaining safe, litter-free highways. 

  • Safety

    Participants are required to conduct a safety meeting before each pickup and wear an MDOT-provided safety vest while working along the roadside.

Michigan Sponsor A Highway Program

The Michigan Sponsor A Highway Program lets businesses fund professional litter removal on designated state highways. Sponsors are recognized with FHWA-approved signs featuring their name and logo. By participating, companies help keep highways clean and allow MDOT to redirect litter‑removal funds to road improvements.