WARREN/FOUNTAIN COUNTIES — The Indiana Department of Transportation announces chip seal operations will be taking place on U.S. 136 and U.S. 41 in Warren and Fountain counties.
Beginning on or after Aug. 12, crews will begin work on U.S. 136 at the Indiana/Illinois state line and will chip seal from there to Covington, skipping town and continuing to the west side of Veedersburg. Fog sealing and pavement markings are expected to be placed beginning on or after Aug. 14 in this area.
On U.S. 41, crews will be chip sealing beginning on or after Aug. 19, with fog sealing and pavement marker placement happening on or after Aug. 21.
Work is expected to be finished by early September but is weather permitting and subject to change.
Crews will place message boards at each end of the project, to alert the traveling public. INDOT suggests finding alternative routes during the short duration of the chip sealing operation. In the event of weather delays, the schedule will be altered accordingly.
Work is completed under lane closures with flagging, or a full closure in several, if not all of these locations to prevent damage to both vehicles and the roadway. During operations, existing pavement is coated with liquid asphalt, which seals cracks and provides waterproof protection. This extends the service life of the roadway and lowers maintenance costs. Once the seal coat is complete, loose aggregate is applied and swept from the road. After a curing period, crews will return to fog seal the new driving surface and apply pavement markings.
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.
