Drivers on Interstate 555 will soon see a new message about littering – spelled out in five-foot-tall wire-mesh letters filled with actual roadside trash.
Beginning the week of Dec. 8, the Arkansas Department of Transportation will install a series of anti-litter signs along I-555 near Exit 42 in Jonesboro, as well as along Interstate 49 at Exit 91 in Bentonville. The campaign aims to highlight the growing cost and impact of litter on Arkansas roadways.
According to ARDOT, the first sign will state, “ARDOT spends over $8 million per year combatting litter.” A second sign asks, “Are you part of the problem or the solution?” and a third reads, “Please help us keep Arkansas natural.”
After passing the three signs, motorists will encounter large wire-mesh letters spelling “NATURAL?” Each letter will be packed with litter collected by cleanup crews in the area.
The display is expected to remain in place for about one month before moving to other locations across the state.
“The average taxpayer may not know how much ARDOT spends each year picking up litter from our highways,” said Steve Frisbee, ARDOT assistant chief engineer for maintenance. “Our goal is to raise awareness for all Arkansans and travelers in our state.”