Clearfield, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) announced the following schedule of maintenance activities in McKean County the week of May 12. 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:

Manual Patching

• Route 59 between the McKean-Warren County line in Corydon Township and the intersection of Route 6 in Smethport Borough. Monday, May 12, through Friday, May 16. 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 4003 (Bingham Road) between Route 59 and Airport Road in Lafayette Township. Monday, May 12, through Friday, May 16. This work takes place off the roadway and has minimal, if any, traffic impact.
• Route 6 between the McKean-Warren County line in Hamilton Township and Route 219 in Hamlin Township. Monday, May 12, through Friday, May 16. This work takes place off the roadway and has minimal, if any, traffic impact.

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 346 between the McKean-Warren County line in Corydon Township and Main Street in the City of Bradford. Monday, May 12, through Friday, May 16. 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.

Vegetation Management

• Route 44 between the McKean-Potter County line and the Pennsylvania-New York State line in Ceres Township. Friday, May 16. This work takes place off the roadway and has minimal, if any, traffic impact.
• Route 1006 (McCrae Brook Road) between Route 446 in Eldred Township and King’s Run Road in Ceres Township. Wednesday, May 14, and Thursday, May 15. This work takes place off the roadway and has minimal, if any, traffic impact.

·         Route 1009 (Bell Run Road) between the McKean-Potter County line and Route 44 in Ceres Township. Monday, May 12, and Tuesday, May 13. 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.