FLAGSTAFF — Historic Route 66 got a centennial cleanup Saturday as 22 volunteers picked up more than 260 pounds of litter along a one-mile stretch in Flagstaff, the Arizona Department of Transportation said.
The special Adopt a Highway event, held to mark the 100th anniversary of the “Mother Road,” filled 19 bags of trash. Volunteers came from Flagstaff, Williams, Phoenix, Glendale, Mesa, Tempe and other towns.
The stretch is no longer designated U.S. Route 66 but follows the path of the original highway and is signed as Historic Route 66. The cleanup was one of hundreds of centennial events being held across the country this year.
ADOT says nearly 8,000 Adopt a Highway volunteers in 823 groups cleaned 1,982 miles of state highway in 2025, filling 12,876 bags. The agency values that labor at more than $589,000.
Individuals, families, religious and civic groups can get two-year permits to adopt a segment, usually a mile in each direction, and agree to clean it at least once a year. ADOT supplies safety vests, bags and training. Details are at azdot.gov/adoptahighway.
Sources: Arizona Department of Transportation news release, Oct. 17, 2026. Thee Arizona Times uses AI-assisted reporting reviewed against the sources listed.
Photo: Arizona Department of Transportation / courtesy photo via ADOT.
