The Indiana Department of Transportation announced that chip seal operations will occur in Clinton County and a portion of Boone County beginning on or after today, Tuesday, Aug. 20 and lasting for approximately one week with weather permitting.
The locations that will receive the chip seal operations and will experience closures during the week include U.S. 421 and State Road 28 just east of Frankfort to State Road 29 and State Road 38 between Kirklin and Sheridan. According to the department, crews will place message boards at both ends of the two projects to alert the traveling public of the construction and the potential closures.
The department stated that drivers should likely seek alternative routes during the short-term chip sealing operation.
Work will be completed under land closures with flagging or a full closure in several of the locations to prevent damage to vehicles and the roadway during the operations. The projects task crews with coating existing pavement with liquid asphalt, which seals cracks and provides waterproof protection to extend the service life of the roadway and lower maintenance costs in the future. Once the seal coat is completed, loose aggregate is applied and swept from the road. During the curing period, crews are expected to fog seal the new driving surface and apply pavement markings.
The department elaborated on the reasoning behind the operations and the reasoning behind the lane closures and flagging operations.
INDOT makes every effort to reduce vehicle damage during and immediately after chip seal projects. While these efforts may not prevent all damage to vehicles during the chip seal process, they have substantially reduced the likelihood of damage.
INDOT safety efforts include posting reduced speeds in work zones, closing roadways or lanes during chip seal projects, and sweeping the roadway during the process and after the project is complete to eliminate loose stones.
Chip seal is a cost-effective pavement preservation technique that is utilized across the state of Indiana, saving an estimated six to 14 dollars in taxpayer expenditures for every dollar invested in extending the life of the roadway.
Motorists should slow down, watch for stopped traffic and drive distraction-free through all work zones. All work for this and other projects is weather dependent, and schedules are subject to change.
