Clearfield, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) announced the following schedule of maintenance activities in McKean County the week of July 20. 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 at a bridge spanning an unnamed Tributary of Foster Brook in Foster Township. Monday, July 20, through Friday, July 24. PennDOT implemented a single-lane closure governed by a self-regulated stop on July 2, that will remain in place until work is completed.

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

Pipe Replacement & Cleaning

• Route 46 between Lee Driver Road and Buchanan Hollow Road in Foster Township. Wednesday, July 22, and Thursday, July 23. Flaggers in the roadway will provide traffic control during daylight hours and may deploy a pilot vehicle. When encountering a pilot vehicle with a “Pilot Car Follow Me” sign mounted on the rear and a revolving yellow light, drivers must remain behind it until it has left the roadway. Do not pass.

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.

Surface Treatment

• All of Route 1015 (Columbia Hill Road). Monday, July 20, and Tuesday, July 21. Flaggers in the roadway will provide traffic control during daylight hours and may deploy a pilot vehicle. When encountering a pilot vehicle with a “Pilot Car Follow Me” sign mounted on the rear and a revolving yellow light, drivers must remain behind it until it has left the roadway. Do not pass.
• Route 46 between Route 446 in Keating Township and Route 646 in Foster Township. Wednesday, July 22, through Friday, July 24. Flaggers in the roadway will provide traffic control during daylight hours and may deploy a pilot vehicle. When encountering a pilot vehicle with a “Pilot Car Follow Me” sign mounted on the rear and a revolving yellow light, drivers must remain behind it until it has left the roadway. Do not pass.

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.

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 you call after hours, please leave a name and phone number.

For more information on PennDOT’s maintenance activities, visit https://www.pa.gov/agencies/penndot/about-penndot/strategic-planning-and-operations/penndot-maintenance-activities