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Trash Pileup On Eisenhower Expressway May Get Worse Before Better, IDOT Says

CHICAGO (CBS) -- There's a different kind of pile up along the Eisenhower Expressway these days. It's not cars, but trash.

According to an Illinois Department of Transportation spokesman, the unsightly spots of garbage may get worse before they get better.

"It's disappointing," one driver said.

The weather is warming up, which helps unveil winter's hidden secret -- garbage. Some drivers say calling it an eyesore is putting it mildly.

"I get aggravated when I see trash and stuff like that. I get aggravated," said another.

"Yeah, I hate trash. Who like trash?" another driver said.

Roadside cleanup along Illinois's interstates falls to IDOT. But spokesman Guy Tridgell said the crews responsible for litter removal are the same crews who fill potholes, plow and repair guard rails. He said some cleanup has already taken place and crews have noticed only "typical expressway litter."

But some areas are definitely worse than others.

Because IDOT crews have multiple tasks, Tridgell said workers will get to trash pickup when time allows.

"I think they have other things to worry about but yes," he said.

It's been an especially bad spring for potholes, so those crews could be very busy.

Of course Tridgell said the best way to keep the roadside free of trash is to stop throwing trash onto the road.

 

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