PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — Trash and litter strewn along state highways is an eyesore and a terrible burden on PennDOT road crews.

“Unfortunately, we have no lack for litter on state highways in Pennsylvania,” Dan Cessna, PennDOT District 11 Executive, said.

But now PennDOT’s getting some help picking up from a place that’s normally in the business of taking things off – clothes that is.

Downtown’s Blush nightclub, which features nightly stripteases and performances by exotic dancers, has adopted stretches of Parkways East and West under the state’s new sponsor a highway program.

Blush has joined other businesses like Papa J’s restaurant in getting to advertise on state highways in return for their regular cleanup, underwriting the cost of a private contractor to pick up the trash.

Blush owner Albert Bortz is out of town but told KDKA-TV’s Andy Sheehan over the phone his reasons for enrolling in the program were twofold.

“It does something good and promotes our name at the same time which doesn’t hurt either,” he said, adding: “I haven’t heard one bad comment about it.”

And neither has PennDOT.

“I hope people would look at that from the perspective that a business owner is providing a valuable service to the taxpayer and it’s saving them tax dollars,” Cessna said.

Andy Sheehan: “Even if it’s promoting a gentleman’s club?”

“That’s up to people’s personal opinion,” Cessna said.

According to PennDOT, Blush’s money is as good any anyone else’s, serving the joint purpose of saving the taxpayer and keeping our highways clean.

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