On Wednesday, July 10, a 22-mile pavement marking project began on a stretch of U.S. 75 from 62nd Street (Shawnee County) to K-16 in Holton (Jackson County). Project work includes the removal of the existing pavement markings followed by the application of new pavement markings using a high durability multi-component material with glass bead insertion for high nighttime reflectivity. This pavement marking work is being done to replace damaged and worn markings incurred during the pavement repair project that took place on this stretch of U.S. 75 in 2012-2013 construction seasons.

To complete the pavement striping work, one crew first grinds a recessed groove into the pavement to remove the existing markings, followed bywater blasting to clean out and residual materials so that the applied paint will have a solid bond to the pavement. A second crew then applies the white skip paint marks into the recessed groove down the center of the two lanes. The white/yellow lines down the shoulders are applied last via this same method.

Crews are moving north along a 13-mile stretch of northbound U.S. 75 from 62nd Street to 150 Road, when they are done northbound with one lane they then return back southbound on U.S. 75 on one lane on this same stretch of highway. They will first complete one lane both directions then move to complete the second lane in both directions in the same rotation pattern. Once this 13-mile stretch of U.S. 75 is completed, crews will then move traffic control to the next northern stretch of northbound and southbound U.S. 75 from 150 Road to K-16 in Holton following the same pattern.

This pavement marking work has a project contract completion date of late September 2013. With that said, the contractor wants to complete this project sooner thus they have revised the schedule and the project work to accommodate a quicker turnaround.

As a part of the overall shorter project completion, the contractor opted for longer work zones, so that they could get in and work without excessive traffic control set up and tear down (which lengthens an overall project schedule). In addition, the contractor plans to complete approximately a 10-mile segment, one lane in one direction within a three-day period, weather and unforeseen delays permitting. Also, since this is a pavement marking project, we don’t want motorists driving through wet paint, so there is drying time included in the project work schedule.

Crews have been on site working on this project since it began last Wednesday, 24/7, Monday-Saturday (no work taking place on Sunday). The project has been underway for approximately seven days thus far and crews are nearly done with both lanes on northbound and southbound U.S. 75 from 62nd Street to 150 Road. The contractor plans to move traffic control on Monday, July 22, weather permitting, to begin work on the remaining stretch of U.S. 75 from 150 Road north to K-16.

During this first seven-day period of project work, there were also significant unplanned delays due to equipment breakdowns (contractor has a mechanic on the project site) and the fatality work zone incident that occurred earlier this week (which damaged the pavement striping equipment; a replacement unit had to be brought in). There has been significant progress made on this week-old pavement marking project.

Updated traffic information for this pavement marking project can be viewed at: www.ksdot.org/topekametro/laneclose.asp.

The Kansas Department of Transportation urges all motorists to be alert, obey the warning signs, and “Give ‘Em a Brake!” when approaching and driving through the project work zone. (KDOT Project #75-043 KA 3205-01 and #75-089 KA 3204-01)