The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) announced the following schedule of maintenance activities in McKean County the week of October 7. 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 246 at a bridge spanning Baker Run between the intersections of Baker’s Trestle Road and Maple Street in Otto Township. Monday, October 7, through Friday, October 11. This work takes place off the roadway and has minimal, if any, traffic impact.

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

Crack Seal & Hot Pour Mastic

• Route 1006 (McCrae Brook Road) between the intersections of Route 446 in Eldred Township and Kings Run Road in Ceres Township. Monday, October 7, and Tuesday, October 8. Flaggers in the roadway will provide traffic control during daylight hours.
• Route 1011 (Barnum Road/Eldred Road) between the intersections of Derrick Road to the Pennsylvania-New York state line in Eldred Township. Wednesday, October 9, through Friday, October 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.

Pipe Replacing & Cleaning, Ditching

• Route 219 between the Elk-McKean County line in Sergeant Township to the Pennsylvania-New York State line in Bradford Township. Monday, October 7, through Friday, October 11. Flaggers in the roadway will provide traffic control during daylight hours.
• Route 346 between the intersections of Gilbert Lane and Woodland Hollow Drive in Bradford Township. Monday, October 7. Flaggers in the roadway will provide traffic control during daylight hours.
• Route 4001 (Big Shanty Road) between the intersections of Scout Camp Run and Sand Road in Lafayette Township. Tuesday, October 8. 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.

Side Dozing

• Route 246 (Looker Mountain Trail) between the intersections of Route 646 and Derrick Road in Otto Township. Monday, October 7, and Tuesday, October 8.  Flaggers in the roadway will provide traffic control during daylight hours.
• Route 346 between the intersections of Route 646 in Foster Township and Route 446 in Eldred Borough. Wednesday, October 9, through Friday, October 11. Flaggers in the roadway will provide traffic control during daylight hours.
• Route 1015 (Columbia Hill Road) between the intersections of Route 46 in Keating Township and Route 246 in Otto Township. Wednesday, October 9, through Friday, October 11. Flaggers in the roadway will provide traffic control during daylight hours.

Side dozing removes excess material from beneath guide rail areas, which improves drainage and allows water to sheet flow off the roadway. Side dozing is a crucial highway maintenance operation 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.

This schedule is subject to change due to weather conditions, emergencies, or other unforeseen interruptions.