VERMILLION, FOUNTAIN, AND PARKE COUNTIES — The Indiana Department of Transportation announces chip seal operations will be taking place on U.S. 36 and State Road 32 in Vermillion, Fountain and Parke counties.
Beginning on or after Thursday, crews will begin work on U.S. 36 at the Indiana/Illinois state line and will chip seal from there to Rockville. Fog sealing and pavement markings are expected to be placed beginning on or after Aug. 5 in this area.
On S.R. 32, crews will be chip sealing beginning on or after Aug. 5, with fog sealing and pavement marker placement happening on or after Aug. 8.
Work is expected to be finished by mid to late August 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.
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.
