‘Mattresses all over the place’: Maryland begins yearly operation to clean state highways
This week, the Maryland State Highway Administration is rolling out its yearly “Operation Clean Sweep,” a weeklong program aimed at cleaning up state highways.
The program runs through Friday.
Charlie Gischlar, the deputy director of communications for MDOT SHA, told WTOP, “It’s all hands on deck.”
“It’s going to be SHA crews, contractors and the Department of Corrections folks as well,” Gischlar said. “We do this before the start of the mowing season.”
Gischlar said the program was started a couple of years ago in an effort to deal with “the immense litter problem that we have in the state on the state highway system.”
“We spent last year, in calendar year 2025, more than $16.5 million on litter pickup and debris removal,” Gischlar said. “We’ve gotten about five million pounds of litter and debris last year.”
Crews are picking up more than just fast food bags and water bottles; Gischlar said they found 32 tires and a wooden kitchen table in Howard County.
Along with toys, dolls and sofas, Gischlar pointed out another item that might surprise you: “Bedroom mattresses all over the place.”
“We spent last year, in calendar year 2025, more than $16.5 million on litter pickup and debris removal. And we’ve gotten about five million pounds of litter and debris last year. So you can see that’s an immense problem,” he added.
The state also cleans the state’s highways before big holiday weekends, including Memorial Day, Labor Day and Thanksgiving.
“We bring everybody together to beautify the roadsides,” Gischlar said.
If you are driving and see the work crews, Gischlar asks you to “move over when (you) see our crews and slow down.”
“Every year when we see our folks out there picking litter from the side of the road, somebody’s not paying attention or they’re going too fast, and one of our attenuator trucks always gets hit,” he said.