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April 17, 2024
Port Orchard, WA -- Kitsap County Public Works is pleased to announce two upcoming highway litter cleanup projects that will be completed in partnership with state agencies.
Highway ramp cleanup grant
The first project targets litter seen along highway ramps in Kitsap County. The cleanups will be made possible through a $60,000 Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) Ramp Litter Cleanup grant, which is limited to areas along on and off-ramps.
Ramp cleanup will begin as soon as the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) permits the work.
“Highways act as the welcome mat to our beautiful county, and right now the welcome mat needs a good cleaning. We’re happy that the state has made these funds available to local governments,” says Christopher Piercy, senior program manager for the County's Solid Waste Division.
The competitive grant was created by the state legislature in 2021 to fund local government participation in state road cleanup, which is typically the responsibility of WSDOT. The County will prioritize ramps based on the amount of litter at each ramp. Its litter cleanup contractor, Totem Logistics, will perform the work. The funds must be spent before the end of the biennium on June 30, 2025.
The County intends to apply for future rounds of funding but expects the grant to become more competitive as additional local governments become aware of the program.
“We hope to be successful with future applications, but we know that there’s not enough funding to keep highways clean. The state’s litter tax was established in 1971, and it’s not generating enough revenue to keep up with the amounts and types of litter we see today,” says Caitlin Newman, Kitsap County litter program supervisor.
According to a new statewide litter study, highway ramps have the highest concentrations of litter in Washington when compared to rural and urban roadways, highway rest areas, and park lands.
Gorst corridor cleanup
The second project is a litter cleanup on the dirtiest section of highway in Kitsap County – the Gorst corridor of State Route 3.
The cleanup is scheduled for Sunday, April 21 from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. WSDOT will close the right southbound/westbound lane between SR 304 (Charleston Boulevard) and the railroad overpass near the exit to West Belfair Valley Road. The left lane will remain open to traffic. Drivers should lower their speed and be cautious of road workers during the cleanup.
Litter pickup will be performed by WSDOT staff and Kitsap County employees.
Kitsap County has advocated for a Gorst cleanup since October 2023, and WSDOT authorized funding for the work this month.
 Map of the Gorst litter cleanup and southbound/westbound lane closure scheduled April 21, 2024
Highway litter cleanup is a collaborative effort
Maintenance of state roads is the responsibility of WSDOT. In Kitsap County, the state agency maintains State Routes 3, 16, 160 (Sedgwick, west of 16), and 166 (outside Port Orchard city limits); State Routes 303 (Waaga Way) and 304 in Central Kitsap; and State Routes 307 (Bond Road), 305, and 104 in North Kitsap. In some cases, cities also play a role in maintaining state routes.
Litter and debris removal is a road maintenance activity, and WSDOT crews regularly remove large and dangerous road debris. However, WSDOT does not have dedicated litter crews nor the funding to create them. They instead rely on partnerships with the public and other agencies.
Ecology is also a key WSDOT partner. Ecology is the state agency tasked with managing litter tax revenues. In Kitsap County, Ecology operates a highway litter crew from March through November. They also fund grant programs like the Ramp Litter Cleanup Program.
Litter prevention is key
The public is invited to join the fight against litter.
“Preventing litter from ending up on the ground is by far more effective, and less expensive, than paying crews or arranging for volunteers to pick it up,” says Amber Smith, Ecology's statewide litter prevention coordinator.
Properly securing cargo in pickup trucks or trailers is one way drivers can help. Unsecured vehicle loads cause up to 40% of roadside litter and more than 300 traffic crashes in Washington each year.
Littering and driving with an unsecured vehicle load are against the law in Washington, with fines up to $5,000. If an item falls out and causes bodily harm or property damage, the driver could also face jail time.
Kitsap County solid waste facilities also charge a $10 fee to customers who arrive at a facility with an unsecured load.
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