Courtesy of the Illinois Department of Tourism With peak roadside mowing season underway, the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) is reminding motorists to slow down, proceed with caution and pay extra attention when encountering equipment and personnel. In keeping with the recent practice of timing operations to preserve and promote pollinator habitat, the heaviest mowing period will continue until Aug. 15.
“You’ll see our mowing crews throughout the entire state so please remember to give them room to do their jobs safely,” said Illinois Transportation Secretary Gia Biagi. “Our top priorities are protecting our workers, the public and the environment.”
During the summer, IDOT conducts two primary types of mowing. Safety mowing occurs directly adjacent to the road as needed. Maintenance mowing, which lasts for approximately six weeks and starts around July 1, includes areas next to culverts, ditches, traffic control devices and other structures, while following the Illinois Monarch Project Mowing Guidelines for Pollinators, protecting as much habitat and nectar resources as possible.
The mowing schedule helps to minimize the impact on the traveling public and encourage pollinator activity, which assists in the reproduction of flowers, fruits and vegetables that are essential to the state’s ecosystem and agricultural economy. Reducing the amount of land maintained and growing pollinator habitat also protects the endangered rusty patched bumble bee and the monarch butterfly, the official state insect of Illinois.
To view a short video about IDOT’s mowing schedules and its work with pollinators, visit IDOT’s YouTube channel.
