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

Manual Patching

• Route 546 between Route 346 and the Pennsylvania-New York State line in Otto Township. Monday, May 5, through Wednesday, May 7. Flaggers in the roadway will provide traffic control during daylight hours.
• The entirety of Route 1017 (RL Sweitzer Drive) in Otto Township. Wednesday, May 7, through Friday, May 9. 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

• Route 66 between Route 6 in Kane Borough and the Elk-McKean County line approximately 2.5 miles south of Kane Borough in Wetmore Township. Monday, May 5, through Friday, May 9. Flaggers in the roadway will provide traffic control during daylight hours. This work takes place on the shoulder and has minimal, if any, impact on traffic, however PennDOT still urges drivers to exercise caution when passing through a work zone.

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 219 northbound between the Owens Way interchange and the New York-Pennsylvania State line in Foster Township. Monday, May 5, and Tuesday, May 6. This work takes place on the shoulder and has minimal, if any, impact on traffic, however PennDOT still urges drivers to exercise caution when passing through a work zone.
• Route 219 southbound between the New York-Pennsylvania State line and the Owens Way interchange in Foster Township. Wednesday, May 7, through Friday, May 9. This work takes place on the shoulder and has minimal, if any, impact on traffic, however PennDOT still urges drivers to exercise caution when passing through a work zone.

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 46 between the Kendal Avenue interchange of Route 219 in the City of Bradford and Route 6 in Smethport Borough. Monday, May 5, through Friday, May 9. This work takes place on the shoulder and has minimal, if any, impact on traffic, however PennDOT still urges drivers to exercise caution when passing through a work zone.
• Route 46 between Kleisath Road in Keating Township and the Cameron-McKean County line in Norwich Township. Monday, May 5, through Friday, May 9. This work takes place on the shoulder and has minimal, if any, impact on traffic, however PennDOT still urges drivers to exercise caution when passing through a work zone.

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.

For more information on PennDOT’s maintenance activities, visit www.PennDOT.pa.gov/about-us/maintenanceactivities.