The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) announced the following schedule of maintenance activities in McKean County the week of August 5. 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 346 (Willow Creek Road) at a bridge spanning Cobbs Hollow Run approximately eight miles west of Bradford in Corydon Township. Monday, August 5, through Friday, August 9. This work takes place off the roadway and has minimal, if any, traffic impact.

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 46 in Foster Township. Monday, August 5, through Friday, August 9. 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

• Route 4001 (Big Shanty Road) in Lafayette Township and Lewis Run. Monday, August 5, through Friday, August 9. Flaggers in the roadway will provide traffic control during daylight hours.

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 44 in Ceres Township. Thursday, August 8, and Friday, August 9. Flaggers in the roadway will provide traffic control during daylight hours.
• Route 446 between Route 155 and the Pennsylvania-New York Border. Monday, August 5, through Wednesday, August 7. 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.

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.