127 bags of rubbish have been cleared from verges along the A14 between Rothwell and Kettering

More than 120 bags of rubbish, as well as larger items such as a roof rack and shopping trolley, have been picked up by National Highways teams from verges along the A14 in North Northamptonshire.

National Highways had been working along the A14 between Rothwell and Kettering over the summer to clean and upgrade drains, repair safety barriers and replace street lighting.

Some of the rubbish collected from the A14 | National Highways

placeholder image — Some of the rubbish collected from the A14 | National Highways

With support from contractor Galliford Try, teams used already planned overnight closures to safely collect litter from the verges and central reservation on behalf of North Northamptonshire Council, which is usually responsible for litter picking along the route.

Taking advantage of closures at night meant teams were able to access areas that are difficult to safely reach due to the high volume of traffic using the A14 during the day.

The majority of the litter in the 127 bags the team collected included food and drink wrappers and discarded vehicle parts, but they also retrieved some other larger items.

The list includes:

• Disposable coffee cups

• Fast food packaging

• Drink cans and bottles

• Newspaper and magazine pages

• Plastic shopping bags

• A shopping trolley

• A roof rack

• Vehicle parts - door panels, bumpers, hubcaps, tyres, HGV mudflaps

• Pieces of clothing, shoes and scrap fabric

• Pallets

• Shrink wrapping / plastic wrapping

• 5L plastic containers

Some of the bags of rubbish cleared away from the A14 | National Highways

Lewis Tooley, project manager at National Highways, said the clear-up ensures the route remains a safe and clean environment for everyone and added: “No-one wants to see litter strewn along the roadside. It’s unsightly and a threat to the environment and wildlife.

“Undertaking this litter picking during already planned road closures means our teams can clean up the roadside safely and efficiently while other works are taking place. And reduces disruption for road users in the long run.

“National Highways and the local authority work hard to tackle litter around Northamptonshire roads, but if people didn’t drop litter in the first place, it wouldn’t need to be picked up. We urge all road users to take their litter home with them and dispose of it responsibly.”

National Highways and North Northamptonshire Council continue to work together to identify opportunities to safely carry out litter clearances along the A45 and A14.