Businesses urged to Sponsor-A-Highway during tourism season

As the 2026 tourism season – which includes the NFL Draft, PGA Championship, FIFA World Cup, MLB All-Star Series and America250PA – is expected to bring more than 209 million travelers to the commonwealth, The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) is encouraging businesses to help keep the roadways beautiful through the department’s Sponsor-A-Highway program.

providing an opportunity for even more people to see the businesses sponsoring roadside cleanup along many of the Commonwealth’s most heavily traveled roadways.

“From the World Cup to the MLB All-star Game, the NFL Draft and the 250th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, 2026 will put Pennsylvania centerstage,” said PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll. “With so many travelers coming to our cities, now is the opportunity to show the world what makes the Commonwealth the Great American Getaway.”

The 2025-2026 state invests $50 million to make sure the Commonwealth is prepared to host the millions of visitors that will be traveling to Pennsylvania in 2026 — including $10 million to support the NFL Draft in Pittsburgh.

Through PennDOT’s Sponsor-A-Highway program, local businesses and organizations can secure agreements with a PennDOT vendor who uses skilled maintenance forces to remove litter on roadways such as interstates and expressways, especially in areas where volunteer litter groups cannot safely pick up litter. Sponsors are recognized with a roadside acknowledgement sign displaying their business name and logo, and also listed on PennDOT’s website.

The program signs have been redesigned to feature the “Let Freedom Ring” design Gov. Josh Shapiro unveiled last year. The department’s vendors are replacing signs on sponsored roadways and will install them for new sponsors.

“With 2026 putting Pennsylvania on the world stage, we get one chance to make a first — and lasting — impression,” said Department of Community and Economic Development’s Deputy Secretary of Tourism Anne Ryan. “Roadside signage may seem simple, but it’s one of the very first touchpoints that tells visitors who we are, what we value, and what the Great American Getaway stands for. This investment helps us welcome millions of travelers with pride, clarity, and a sense of place the moment they cross our borders.”

The program began in 2000 and currently, 55 businesses in Pennsylvania participate, accounting for more than 375 miles of roadway that are cleaned throughout the year. Beginning in 2026, Sponsor-A-Highway vendors will increase litter clean ups along sponsored roads from six to eight times per year.

In addition to the Sponsor-A-Highway program, individuals and civic groups have multiple opportunities to beautify Pennsylvania through volunteer programs. For more information on cleaning up a roadway in your community, log onto https://shorturl.at/08WlI.