By Ron VandenBoom
The Montana Department of Transportation has announced that it will be applying epoxy and thermoplastic pavement markings to primary and secondary roads in the Havre area sometime during the 2000 road construction season.
The purpose of the project is to provide longer lasting pavement markings and better reflective markings for night driving.
According to Bob Thomson, engineering services supervisor for District 3, the project will include U.S. Highway 2 East from the Hill/Blaine County Line to Chinook and Route 234 south of Havre. It will also include secondary Route 432 west from Big Sandy.
An exact date for the beginning of the project has not been set, Thomson said, but it is expected to begin sometime this summer.
No new right-of-way will be required for the project and no traffic delays will result from the project.
The new markings, Thomson said, are longer lasting than the traditional water-based paint used before and will offer better reflective qualities in the long run.
He did, however, remark that the epoxy takes longer to dry than traditional paint and that drivers should strive not to drive over the markings when they are first applied.
