The Indiana Department of Transportation announces that chip seal preservation is scheduled to begin on various roadways in Fulton, Miami and Wabash counties. INDOT maintenance crews are expected to begin on or after Wednesday, Aug. 1, weather permitting.
Roadways to be chip sealed (in no specific order) are as follows:
- U.S. 24 (outside shoulders only) from U.S. 31 to the Miami/Wabash County line
- S.R. 19 between U.S. 24 and the southern limits of the Town of Akron
- U.S. 31 (outside shoulders only) from the Fulton/Miami County line to S.R. 16
Drivers can expect lane restrictions and traffic directed by flaggers while INDOT maintenance crews maintain access for vehicles. Motorists are urged to seek an alternate route. If driving through the chip seal work zone, drivers should take extra caution, drive slowly and allow additional space between vehicles to prevent stone chips from damaging windshields or paint.
Once the chip seal has cured, crews will sweep the highway clear of loose stone, apply a fog seal surface coat and paint pavement markings. The entire process can take up to two weeks in each area. All chip seal in Fulton, Miami and Wabash counties is expected to be complete by late August, weather permitting.
About chip-seal projects
National research has shown that every $1 used to preserve INDOT roadways saves $6 to $14 in future costs. After years of heavy traffic and winter freeze-thaw cycles, small cracks typically develop in our highways. If left untreated, moisture seeps into these cracks and form potholes when water freezes and expands. As the name implies, a chip-seal treatment seals off the cracks. The stone chips provide improved traction for stopping, especially during winter.
Curious about chip seal projects? View this video to see the benefits, and how they save taxpayer dollars: http://youtu.be/ZfwaAUpk6fo. Or find information on INDOT’s chip seal preservation online at http://www.in.gov/indot/3266.htm.
SOURCE: News release from Indiana Department of Transportation