Bob Donaldson, Post-Gazette Family and friends of Paul V. "P.J." Shepherd Jr. -- who died June 6 in a traffic accident -- pick up litter yesterday along Route 28 between Chestnut Street and the 31st Street Bridge. Click photo for larger image.

Cleanup yesterday of the "death stretch" of Route 28/East Ohio Street produced -- along with some blood, lots of sweat and a few tears -- 70 bags of litter, more than 100 tires and even a door.

And while the stated goal of the 25 litter gatherers attired in gloves and orange vests was beautification of a dangerous mile of Route 28, the group had a more pressing goal.

Family, friends and co-workers of Paul V. "P.J." Shepherd Jr., who died June 6 in a traffic accident on Route 28 between Chestnut Street and the 31st Street Bridge, used the opportunity to lobby the state Department of Transportation and community leaders to make long-delayed improvements along the stretch of highway that has claimed dozens of lives in 40 years.

The death of Mr. Shepherd, 36, of Reserve, left his three children, four sisters and parents struggling to cope with the loss. So his sisters decided to adopt the notorious stretch of Route 28 in a PennDOT program and remove litter from it four times a year as an ongoing memorial to Mr. Shepherd.

Under its Adopt-A-Highway program, PennDOT provides cleanup supplies, hauls away the garbage and posts a sign bearing the adopting organization's name. In this case, the sign will memorialize Mr. Shepherd.

Yesterday's cleanup took four hours.

"His birthday was July 27, and that's why we are here today," his sister, Michelle Siemen, 35, of Canonsburg, said. "We are trying to take a tragedy and make something positive of it."

Sharing the pain with friends and family makes it easier to deal with his death, she said, noting participants were cautious to avoid accidents during the cleanup.

"No matter what happens, you have to put a positive spin on it and keep on truckin'," Mrs. Siemen said.

Temperatures rose to the mid-80s as participants 12 to 57 worked, with the youngsters complaining most about sweating through their shirts and getting itchy from bugs and plants. Several received minor cuts.

Lambros-Ron's Pizza Palace on Route 28, where Mr. Shepherd had worked for almost 20 years, provided free pizzas for the group's lunch. He was delivering a pizza when he was killed.

Mr. Shepherd's mother, Cheryl Beatty of Smith Township, Washington County, and others shed tears, especially when the group gathered at the accident site to erect a memorial and offer prayers.

"It's tough," Mr. Shepherd's oldest daughter, Amber, 14, said of working under the hot sun. "But it's also tough knowing that dad died on this highway."

Ms. Beatty said the parents of a high school friend were killed in a 1969 accident along the same stretch while on the way to their daughter's graduation.

"This has been going on too long, and something has to be done to save lives," said Paul V. Shepherd Sr., 57, of Monroeville. He said that after his son died, he drove the dangerous section at the 35 mph speed limit and his car almost was struck four times by speeding vehicles, prompting him to use his four-way blinkers.

"A lot of entities have failed to do something that has needed to be done for 40 years," he said.

PennDOT District 11 spokesman James B. Struzzi II said plans are nearing completion to improve the dangerous corridor. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2009, if $130 million in funding can be secured. Plans include new interchanges at the 31st Street and 40th Street bridges, a wider roadway and medial barriers to separate lanes.

Mrs. Siemen said she hopes the cleanup will inspire motorists to slow down and avoid the tragedy that her family is experiencing.

"Someone needs to make a statement," she said.