HELENA — Have you ever driven past roadkill and wondered who is responsible for cleaning that up?
From deer to raccoon, Montana Department of Transportation crews handle this messy but very important job.
“Our number one priority is always the safety of the public,” said Christ Sturges, the MDT section supervisor for Helena.
Sturges and his team pick up anywhere between one and ten larger animals daily.
On my ride-along Monday morning, we picked up a deer right away.
“We try to get out there in the morning and get everything picked up as soon as we can,” Sturges said.
Aside from patrolling the Helena area for roadkill, the crew also makes scoops from public calls.
This time of the year, when deer are in rut, is when they see a significant uptick.
Sturges said, “The elk are always a big deal, especially when they start crossing the interstate, at certain times of the year.”
Another busy time is in the spring when deer grow in their new antlers.
But where do all these animal clean-ups go?
“In Helena, we take them to the landfill, and the surrounding sections take them to the landfill, and other places around the state have recyclers and composting,” said Sturges.
The interstate and roads like York and Green Meadow see significant amounts of roadkill.
There is a way you can help. “If you hit an animal and it is still in the roadway, we need to get it off the road onto the shoulder, some place the rest of the traveling public can get by safely,” said Sturges.
After moving the animal off the road, you can make MDT aware through their Report a Problem app.
The app is free and downloadable from the App Store.
It lets citizens report highway problems like roadkill, potholes, and guardrail damage, and the reports are then sent to the appropriate maintenance division of local jurisdiction.
It is not just animals on the roadway to worry about, but also the people working to clean them up.
“It feels a lot better to us when we are on the shoulder and someone gets over for us,” Sturges said. “It shows they care about us as much as we care about them because that is what we are there for.”
