A three year long test could help drivers see lane striping better

TREMONTON, Utah — The Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) is conducting a three year experiment to determine what type of lane striping will hold up to Utah’s harsh weather conditions.

John Gleason, spokesman for UDOT, said Utah weather poses a challenge to most lane striping efforts.

“Salt and snowplows erode many products — like tape and reflective beads,” Gleason said. 

And that, in turn, ruins their reflectiveness so drivers can’t see the lanes during rain storms.

The biggest goal of the test is to find a product which will hold up for several years. 

“Currently, we have to restripe the major roads every year,” said Gleason.

Agency to test 100 different lane striping options

UDOT will test 100 different products over a three mile stretch of I-84  just west of Tremonton.  That averages to almost 53-yards for each method to find out which ones do best. The agency wants to determine which performs best for visibility in the rain and if they survive snow plows and salt during the winter months.

Gleason said UDOT is already getting good feedback from drivers about the new contrast lane striping in place on I-15 in Draper and along the tech corridor in Utah County.

That method features 10-feet black lines painted behind the white lines, and paint “grooved” into the pavement. 

“We actually cut grooves into the pavement and then put the paint underneath the surface so it isn’t removed by snowplows,” Gleason said.

Gleason added, “Ultimately, we want to do everything we can to make striping as visible as possible and make the roads are as safe as they can be.” 

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