The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) announced the following schedule of maintenance activities in Potter County the week of August 5. PennDOT performs year-round maintenance in its mission to provide a safe, efficient transportation system, and the scope of work in Potter County for the coming week is as follows:

Bridge Maintenance & Cleaning

• Route 3002 (Cowley Hill Road) at a bridge spanning Cowley Run approximately five miles west of Austin in Portage Township. Monday, August 5, through Thursday, August 8. 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.

Mechanized Patching

• Route 244 between the intersections of Rose Lake Lane in Allegany Township and Route 1010 (Academy Street) in Genesee Township. Monday, August 5, through Friday, August 9. Flaggers in the roadway will provide traffic control during daylight hours.

Mechanized patching is used to patch limited roadway areas that have extensive potholes, large areas of cracked pavement, and depressions. If mechanized patching was not performed, the damaged road surface would further deteriorate, resulting in PennDOT needing to completely rebuild the road or perform more costly corrective measures.

Pipe Replacing & Cleaning

• Route 6 between the intersections of Route 44 in Sweden Township and School Street in Galeton Borough. Monday, August 5, through Thursday, August 8. Flaggers in the roadway will provide traffic control during daylight hours.
• Route 1003 between the intersections of Route 49 in Ulysses Borough and Route 6 in Pike Township. Monday, August 5, through Thursday, August 8. Flaggers in the roadway will provide traffic control during daylight hours.
• Route 44 between the intersections of Route 6 in Sweden Township and the Lycoming-Potter County line. Tuesday, August 6, through Friday, August 9. 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.

Surface Treatment

• Route 44 between the intersections of Pleasant Street in Shinglehouse Borough and Route 4008 (Branch Road) in Hebron Township. Monday, August 5, through Friday, August 9. Flaggers in the roadway will provide traffic control during daylight hours. PennDOT urges drivers to build extra time into their travel schedules as delays are anticipated.
• Route 244 between the intersections of Route 4025 (Brizzie Hollow Road) and New York-Pennsylvania border. Monday, August 5, through Friday, August 9. Flaggers in the roadway will provide traffic control during daylight hours. PennDOT urges drivers to build extra time into their travel schedules as delays are anticipated.
• Route 4008 between the intersections of Route 44 in Hebron Township and Route 4011 (Peet Brook Road) in Allegany Township. Monday, August 5, through Friday, August 9. Flaggers in the roadway will provide traffic control during daylight hours. PennDOT urges drivers to build extra time into their travel schedules as delays are anticipated.

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.

Sweeping utilizes a mechanical broom attachment on a piece of mobile highway equipment used to remove loose debris from the roadway, improving safety and surface traction for motorists.

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.