Clearfield, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) announced the following schedule of maintenance activities in Potter County the week June 17. 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) bridge spanning Cowley Run between Route 155 and Fox Mountain Drive in Portage Township. Monday, June 17, through Thursday, June 20. 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.

Manual Patching

• Route 4014 (Plank Road) between Honeoye Road and Eleven Mile Road in Sharon Township. Monday, June 17, through Friday, June 21. Flaggers in the roadway will provide traffic control during daylight hours.
• Route 4023 (Eleven Mile Road) from Route 44 in Sharon Township to the New York state line in Oswayo Township. Monday, June 17, through Friday, June 21. 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.

Mechanized Patching

• Route 4008 (Branch Road) from Route 44 in Hebron Township to Peet Brook Road in Allegany Township.  Monday, June 17, through Friday, June 21. 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 Cleaning & Replacement

• Route 144 from Constitution Avenue in Abbott Township to Galeton. Tuesday, June 18, through Friday, June 21. Flaggers in the roadway will provide traffic control during daylight hours.
• Route 4017 (Shay Town Road/Sunny Side Road) Southwest of Shinglehouse in Sharron Township. Tuesday, June 18, through Friday, June 21. Flaggers in the roadway will provide traffic control during daylight hours.
• Route 4021 (Honeoye Road) in Shinglehouse between Russell Street and the bridge spanning Honeoye Creek. Tuesday, June 18, through Friday, June 21.  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.

Shoulder Maintenance

• Route 44 between Route 144 and Route 6 in West Branch and Abbott townships.  Monday, June 17, through Thursday, June 20. 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 144 from the Clinton County line to Galeton. Monday, June 17, through Thursday, June 20. Flaggers in the roadway will provide traffic control during daylight hours.
• Route 44 from cherry Springs State Park to the Lycoming County line. Monday, June 17, through Thursday, June 20. Flaggers in the roadway will provide traffic control during daylight hours.

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.