Clearfield, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) announced the following schedule of maintenance activities in McKean County the week of June 22. 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 66 at a bridge spanning a tributary of West Run in Wetmore Township. Monday, June 22, through Friday, June 26. 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.

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.

Patching

• All of Route 1011 (Barnum Road) in Eldred Township. Monday, June 22, through Friday, June 26. 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.

Most permanent pothole patching is completed in spring or summer when temperatures stay consistently above freezing. Manual patching consists of filling potholes with warm mix asphalt using a shovel. It is then leveled and compacted. Mechanized patching consists of milling paving notches, cleaning the surface, applying tack to all edges to act as a glue. A paver then places warm mix into the milled paving notches, and a roller compacts the material. If patching was not performed, the damaged road surface would deteriorate further, and PennDOT would need to completely rebuild the road or perform more costly corrective measures.

Pipe Replacement & Cleaning

• Route 46 between Chelsea Lane in the City of Bradford and Route 246 in Foster Township. Monday, June 22, through Friday, June 26. 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.

Shoulder Maintenance

• All of Route 3006 (Westline Road) in Lafayette Township. Monday, June 22, through Friday, June 26. 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.

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.

Vegetation Management

• Route 219 at Lantz Corners in Hamlin Township. Monday, June 22, and Tuesday, June 23. This work takes place on the shoulder with minor roadway encroachment and has minimal, if any traffic impact, however PennDOT urges drivers to exercise caution in all work zones.
• Route 346 between Route 646 in Foster Township and Route 246 in Otto Townships. Wednesday, June 24. This work takes place on the shoulder with minor roadway encroachment and has minimal, if any traffic impact, however PennDOT urges drivers to exercise caution in all work zones.
• Route 46 starting at Route 6 in Keating Township and continuing southbound approximately 16 miles to the Cameron-McKean County line in Norwich Township. Friday, June 26. This work takes place on the shoulder with minor roadway encroachment and has minimal, if any traffic impact, however PennDOT urges drivers to exercise caution in all work zones.

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 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