Washington State Department of Transportation announcement.
PUYALLUP – Travelers who use both directions of State Route 512 near Puyallup will want to plan extra travel time into their trips, slow down and pay attention to work zones.
Beginning Monday, April 18, Washington State Department of Transportation maintenance crews will close the left lanes while crews from the Washington State Department of Ecology remove litter from the center median.
The work zone spans 5 miles over several days and may lead to long backups. Travelers should avoid the area if possible.
The lane closures will occur each day from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in two-mile increments along SR 512 from Pacific Avenue/SR 7 near Parkland to South Meridian near the state fairgrounds in Puyallup. No work is scheduled over the weekend.
The schedule for each location is listed below:
Eastbound SR 512
- Monday, April 18: Pacific Avenue/SR 7 to Portland Avenue East
- Tuesday, April 19: Woodland Avenue East to SR 161
- Wednesday, April 20: North Meridian to Benston Drive East
Westbound SR 512
- Monday, April 25: South Meridian to SR 161
- Tuesday, April 26: South Fruitland Avenue East to Portland Avenue East
Prevention is key to reducing litter
Addressing roadside litter requires coordination by many partner agencies including WSDOT and fellow state agencies such as the Department of Ecology. The public also plays a crucial role in preventing litter in the first place. The public should:
- Properly cover and tie down all loads on all trips.
- Keep trash and debris securely gathered in vehicles, so it doesn’t fall or fly out of vehicles.
- Properly dispose of all trash in a vehicle litter bag or in a bin at a destination.
- Share litter prevention messages with family and friends. Visit org and SecureLoadsWA.org for litter prevention tips.
- If able, consider creating an Adopt-a-Highway group to join the valuable volunteers who help clear roadsides and other rights of way.
WSDOT does not have regular, dedicated litter crews, nor the funding to create them. This is why WSDOT maintains the Adopt-a-Highway program and partners with the Department of Ecology and local communities to help address roadside litter.
Real-time travel information is available on WSDOT’s updated travel center map.
I am so disgusted with the way our streets and highways are covered with litter, that’s why I’m happy to see something’s being done.. Hopefully this is not the end of it, there are much more areas to be cleaned. I’m getting visitors from Germany and I’m totally embarrassed about it. You don’t see this kind of filth there.
Thank you DOT workers. Yes regrettably until the public’s attitude toward litter ( including accidental litter ) changes it is a never ending battle. Again thank you DOT and DOEcology workers. You are unsung heroes.