CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The state Division of Highways is doing their part to help the environment this Earth Day.
One of the leading users of solar energy in West Virginia is the DOH, according to Carrie Bly, the department’s spokesperson.
Many roadway signs on state highways are made out of solar panels, she said.
“Some of our metal roadway signs, whether it’s warning of an intersection or a light ahead or maybe a truck tipping warning sign, a lot of those have the solar panels on them as well,” Bly said on MetroNews affiliate WMOV Radio in Ravenswood.
The DOH has been working with the state Department of Environmental Protection for their Operation Wildflower program. People can sponsor wildflowers that the department has growing along West Virginia highways.
Bly said they try to use honey bee friendly flower mixes for this project.
“There’s been the push to protect the honey bee because of all the products they help produce and that they’re kind of dying out, so we use wildflower mixes that are friendly to them to help with their growth,” she said.
Recycling is also another push the DOH is taking part in when paving roadways. Bly said their pavement preservation program allows them to preserve the roads that aren’t in the best conditions. Crews use a machine to mill up the roadway surface.
“It goes into a hopper, mixes with new materials, new asphalt and concrete and then it’s put back down on the road,” she said. “It allows us to reuse what we already have.”