DOT Announces Clean-Up NJ Campaign from Rte 78 in Springfield

Tired of overgrown trees and rampant weeds on the sides of the state's highways? New Jersey officials have heard your complaints and are responding to them.

On Monday, Aug. 16, New Jersey Department of Transportation  Commissioner James S. Simpson visited Springfield to announce the launch of "Clean Up NJ." With the new campaign NJDOT maintenance forces will periodically be strategically deployed to  improve in the appearance of New Jersey roadways.

Standing with state and local officials at I-78 Exit 49B in Springfield, where several NJDOT crews were cutting back overgrown foliage, Commissioner Simpson said the campaign has been designed to improve safety and spruce up the appearance of major commuter routes and other roadways.

"Attractive, well-maintained roadways send a signal that New Jersey is serious about attracting and retaining businesses and jobs," Simpson said in his statement. "We have heard from residents, business executives and elected officials who want to see an improvement in the appearance of our roadways, and this campaign is designed to answer those calls." 

The campaign will use staff and resources assigned to North, Central and South Jersey for the clean ups. DOT officials said there will be no additional cost to taxpayers. There are approximately 420 NJDOT maintenance workers statewide, divided into 62 crews.

Clean Up NJ is designed to solve multiple maintenance issues that would be too large for a single crew to handle in a short time. It combines the flexibility to respond to suggestions and concerns of residents and elected officials and can aggressively target specific corridors.

"With this ongoing campaign, we will target specific locations and handle all maintenance issues in a single sweep," Simpson said. "We'll clean up litter, cover up graffiti, cut overgrown vegetation and do whatever it takes to produce a positive impact."

NJDOT recently requested local officials to identify areas they wish to see addressed during the campaign. The solicitation generated dozens of suggestions, many of which have already been handled this summer. 

During the weeklong campaign kickoff in late July, maintenance crews in the northern part of the state worked on sections of I-80 and Route 24. Central New Jersey crews selected numerous locations rather than a single corridor while crews in the southern part of the state focused on litter, graffiti and weeds along I-295, I-76, I-676 and other major corridors. 

All together, crews picked up 170 tons of litter, painted over 30,660 square yards of graffiti, mowed 1,330 acres of tall grass and removed heavy brush and trees from 134 acres of land along state highways.

The next weeklong concentration of forces will take place this fall. The eastern portion of I-80 and the northern portion of I-287 have been tentatively scheduled for attention, while workers in the central region will concentrate on I-195. In the south, the campaign will revisit the high-traffic area of I-295, I-76 and I-676, as well as Routes 30, 130, 70 and 38 in the Camden area.

Clean Up NJ also will address longer-term maintenance issues such as repainting rusted railroad bridges over state highways. Some of the bridges have been orphaned by defunct railroad companies, and their maintenance now falls to NJDOT. 

To report a roadway maintenance issue, motorists can call 1-800-POTHOLE or click on the Highway Maintenance Reporting button on the NJDOT homepage.