Clearfield, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) announced the following schedule of maintenance activities in McKean County the week of July 15. PennDOT performs year-round maintenance in its mission to provide a safe, efficient transportation system, and the scope of work in McKean County for the coming week is as follows:

Bridge Maintenance & Cleaning

• Route 46 at a bridge spanning a tributary of the north branch of Cole Creek approximately two miles northwest of Farmers Valley in Keating Township. Monday, July 15, through Friday, July 19. This work takes place on the shoulder and has minimal, if any, traffic impact, however PennDOT urges drivers to exercise caution through the work zone.

Pennsylvania has some of the oldest bridges in the country, with an age of more than 50 years on average. Preventive maintenance is vital in extending the life of the structures. As such, PennDOT maintenance crews perform some bridge deck patching and structural repairs.

Mechanized Patching

• Route 646 between the intersections of Route 346 in Foster Township and Route 4003 (Bingham Road) in Lafayette Township. Monday, July 11, through Friday, July 19. Flaggers in the roadway will provide traffic control during daylight hours.

Mechanized patching is used to patch limited roadway areas that have extensive potholes, large areas of cracked pavement, and depressions. If mechanized patching was not performed, the damaged road surface would further deteriorate, resulting in PennDOT needing to completely rebuild the road or perform more costly corrective measures.

Pipe Replacing & Cleaning

• The entirety of Route 4001 (Big Shanty Road) in Lewis Run Borough and Lafayette Township. Monday, July 11, through Friday, July 19. This work takes place on the shoulder and has minimal, if any, traffic impact, however PennDOT urges drivers to exercise caution through the work zone.

Pipe replacement and cleaning are essential in maintaining water flow around state roadways. Controlling water flow is one of the most important aspects of maintaining pavements. Uncontrolled water flow will damage both the pavement surface and the area under the pavement, which causes deterioration across the length of the pipe.

Shoulder Maintenance

• Route 46 between the intersection of Route 146 in Norwich Township and the Cameron-McKean County line. Monday, July 15, through Friday, July 19. Flaggers in the roadway will provide traffic control during daylight hours.

Shoulder cutting removes excess material and debris from unpaved shoulder areas. Shoulder grading involves the shaping and stabilizing of those same areas. Both operations improve drainage, allow water to leave the roadway, and eliminate shoulder drop-offs. These are crucial highway maintenance operations because when drainage systems do not function properly, water collects on the road, weakens pavement, accelerates the formation of potholes, and creates the potential for icing conditions in the winter months.

Surface Treatment

• Route 3005 (Campbelltown Road/Hutchens Drive) between the intersections of Allegany Drive and First Lane in Sergeant Township. Monday, July 15. Flaggers in the roadway will provide traffic control during daylight hours. PennDOT urgers drivers to build extra time into their travel schedules as delays are anticipated.
• Route 1009 (Bell Run Road) between the intersection of Route 44 and the McKean-Potter County line. Monday, July 15, through Friday, July 19. Flaggers in the roadway will provide traffic control during daylight hours. PennDOT urges drivers to build extra time into their travel schedules as delays are anticipated.

Commonly known as “oil and chip” or “sealcoat,” this operation is a preservation strategy used to maintain mainly low-traffic-volume roads for five to seven years. It is also used on high-volume roads to extend pavement life between resurfacings. Generally, it takes stones about two days to fully bond in the hardened asphalt. Motorists should reduce their speed on these roads until the stones fully adhere to the asphalt. This maintenance seals the road surface to keep water out, restores the friction of the surface to enhance traction, and is very cost-effective.

Vegetation Management

• The entirety of Route 6 in McKean County. Tuesday, July 16. This work takes place on the shoulder and has minimal, if any, traffic impact, however PennDOT urges drivers to exercise caution through the work zone.
• Route 66 between the intersection of Route 6 in Kane Borough and the Elk-McKean County line. Wednesday, July 17. This work takes place on the shoulder and has minimal, if any, traffic impact, however PennDOT urges drivers to exercise caution through the work zone.
• The entirety of Route 3003 (Burning Well Road). Thursday, July 18. This work takes place on the shoulder and has minimal, if any, traffic impact, however PennDOT urges drivers to exercise caution through the work zone.
• The entirety of Halsey Road. Friday, July 19. This work takes place on the shoulder and has minimal, if any, traffic impact, however PennDOT urges drivers to exercise caution through the work zone.

Mowing, herbicide spraying, and selected tree thinning help maintain a safe roadway free of obstructing vegetation, improving visibility to spot signage, traffic control devices, and other motorists, bicyclists, pedestrians, and animals approaching the road. Additionally, a well-maintained roadside can improve drainage and prolong the life of the roadway.

This schedule is subject to change due to weather conditions, emergencies, or other unforeseen interruptions.

Customers can report road concerns by calling 1-800-FIX-ROAD. If calling after hours, please leave a name and phone number.

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 in Cameron, Centre, Clearfield, Clinton, Elk, Juniata, McKean, Mifflin, and Potter counties at www.penndot.gov/District2.

Information about infrastructure in District 2, including completed work and significant projects, is available at www.penndot.pa.gov/D2Results. Find PennDOT’s planned and active construction projects at www.projects.penndot.gov.

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