Clearfield, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) announced that surface treatment operations, more commonly known as “oil and chip,” on several roads in Juniata County will continue next week. This maintenance treatment seals the road surface to keep water out, restores the friction of the surface to enhance traction, and extends the pavement life between resurfacings.
Crews will be off Monday, May 26, observing the Memorial Day Holiday, but will be engaged in surface treatment operations the remainder of the week. Flaggers in the roadway will provide traffic control during daylight hours on the following roadways.
- Route 75 approximately 2.25 miles north of Route 3025 (Old Mill Road), continuing northbound to Gilland Road in Lack Township; Tuesday, May 27.
- Route 3002 (Main Street/Old 22 Road) between Thompson Lane and Juniata-Perry County line approximately three miles east of Thompsontown Borough in Delaware Township; Wednesday, May 28.
- Route 2013 (Cocolamus Road) between Route 235 in Delaware Township and Route 35 in Fayette Township; Wednesday, May 28.
- Route 2008 (Dunn Valley Road) between Route 235 and Route 2015 (Swailes Road) in Fayette Township; Thursday, May 29.
- Route 2015 (Swailes Road) between Route 35 and Route 2013 in Fayette Township; Thursday, May 29.
- Route 2015 (Ehrenzeller Road) between Route 2013 in Fayette Township and Black Dog Valley Road in Delaware Township; Thursday, May 29.
- Route 1003 (Tennis Park Road) between Route 35 and Mountain Road in Fayette Township; Friday, May 29.
- Route 1004 (Shade Road) between Route 1003 (Tennis Park Road) and Route 35 in Fayette Township; Friday, May 29.
- Route 1005 (Leonard Hill Road) between Vanormer Road and Route 35 in Fayette Township; Friday, May 29.
PennDOT announced some of this work for the week of May 19, but weather delayed its completion.
PennDOT typically employs surface treatments as a preservation strategy on roads with low traffic volumes and speed limits of 35 mph or slower. This activity extends the life of those roads by keeping water out, which mitigates the damage caused by the freeze-thaw cycle of Pennsylvania winters and delays the formation of potholes and the oxidization process.
In recent years, PennDOT District 2 has expanded its use of seal coating to roadways with higher traffic volumes and speed limits of 55 mph or faster as it strives to effectively manage and preserve its assets while being good stewards of taxpayer money.
PennDOT performs this activity in temperatures greater than 60 degrees, generally between April and September. Crews begin by sweeping the roadway clean of debris. Next, they apply emulsion oil and a layer of stone, which they then roll into place using a roller. Once cured, crews sweep any loose material from the roadway.
Generally, it takes about two days for the stones to bond to the hardened asphalt. PennDOT urges drivers to reduce their speed on roads that have received this treatment during the two-day curing period or to consider alternate routes.
For more information on PennDOT’s Maintenance Activities, visit www.PennDOT.pa.gov/about-us/maintenanceactivities.
Motorists can check conditions on major roadways by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information, and access to more than 1,000 traffic cameras. 511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional X alerts.
Subscribe to PennDOT news and traffic alerts in Cameron, Centre, Clearfield, Clinton, Elk, Juniata, McKean, Mifflin, and Potter counties at www.penndot.pa.gov/District2.
Information about infrastructure in District 2, including completed work and significant projects, is available at http://www.penndot.pa.gov/D2Results. Find PennDOT’s planned and active construction projects at https://gis.penndot.pa.gov/paprojects/.
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