Clearfield, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) announced the following schedule of maintenance activities in McKean County the week of September 9. 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:

Crack Seal & Hot Pour Mastic

• Route 44 from the McKean-Potter County line in Shinglehouse Borough to the Pennsylvania-New York State line in Ceres Township. Monday, September 9, through Wednesday, September 11. Flaggers in the roadway will provide traffic control during daylight hours.

Crack sealing and hot pour mastic operations prevent water intrusion from seeping through cracks or joints in an asphalt road, which can lead to potholes and pavement breakup. They are proactive preventive maintenance strategies to prevent water from entering the roadways and accelerating the formation of potholes and other failures.

Manual Patching

• Route 1017 (RL Sweitzer Drive) between the intersections of Route 246 and Route 346 in Otto Township. Thursday, September 12, and Friday, September 13. Flaggers in the roadway will provide traffic control during daylight hours.

Most permanent pothole patching is completed in the spring/summer when temperatures stay consistently above freezing. If maintenance crews were not repairing potholes, the road surface would break up further and require more expensive corrective measures.

Pipe Replacing & Cleaning, Ditching

• Route 219 between the Elk-McKean County line in Sergeant Township and the Pennsylvania-New York state line in Foster Township. Monday, September 9, through Friday, September 13. 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.

Vegetation Management

• Route 321 between Elk-McKean County line in Wetmore Township and the intersection of Route 346 in Corydon Township. Monday, September 9, through Wednesday, September 11. This work takes place off the roadway and has minimal, if any, traffic impact.
• Route 4001 (Big Shanty Road/Lafayette Road) between the intersections of Route 59 in Lafayette Township and Henderson Road in Irishtown. Friday, September 13. This work takes place off the roadway and has minimal, if any, traffic impact.
• Route 4003 (Bingham Road) between the intersections of Route 59 in Lafayette Township and Route 646 in Keating Township. Wednesday, September 11, and Thursday, September 12. This work takes place off the roadway and has minimal, if any, traffic impact.

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.