Date:
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Contact:
Dan Gruenberg, WSDOT Maintenance Supervisor, (350) 905-2255 (Vancouver)
Abbi Russell, WSDOT Communications, (360) 905-2058 (Vancouver)
AMBOY – WSDOT striping crews got a big surprise Wednesday afternoon when the fresh lane lines they sprayed on SR 503 washed away during a rainstorm.
The crew was replacing damaged striping on SR 503 between Lewisville Park and Amboy (mileposts 10 to 19) when the first raindrops fell. They immediately stopped working and turned back for the Vancouver maintenance office. That’s when they noticed the paint beginning to run in streaks across the highway.
When the crew began striping at 9 a.m. yesterday, humidity was low and temperatures were warm enough for the paint to adhere and dry. Under these conditions, striping paint typically will dry in less than two minutes, and the stripes on SR 503 should have been dry by the time the rain hit almost two hours later.
Road striping paint is weather sensitive and can only be applied when air, road temperatures and humidity are right. The highly advanced data collection system installed on each striping truck measures these factors at all times, and notifies the operator as conditions change.
WSDOT uses a water-based paint for striping. Tests are currently being run on the paint to determine why it did not dry appropriately.
The Washington State Department of Ecology has determined that there has been no damage to the environment from paint run-off.
For weekly updates on this and other traffic impacts in the region, please visit the WSDOT Southwest Region Weekly Travel Advisory Web page at: www.wsdot.wa.gov/Regions/SouthWest/Construction.
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WSDOT keeps people, businesses and the economy moving by operating and improving the state's transportation systems. To learn more about what we're doing, go to www.wsdot.wa.gov/news for pictures, videos, news and blogs. Real time traffic information is available at www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic or by dialing 5-1-1.
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