News Releases

Date: April 30, 2007

Contacts:

Contact:	Company:	Phone:	Email:
Rick Mason	PennDOT	570- 368-4202
Jackie Renner	RCC	612-859-2626	rennercomm@aol.com

 

PennDOT TO INSTALL NEW TECHNOLOGY TO KEEP ICE AWAY, MOTORISTS SAFER ON ROUTE 15 BRIDGES NEAR BLOSSBURG

MONTOURSVILLE -- Spring is finally here and that means Pennsylvania motorists should no longer need to worry about icy or snow-covered roadways.

But after a difficult winter, PennDOT is already looking ahead at how to make winter driving safer next season.

Starting the week of May 7, weather permitting, PennDOT will oversee installation of a new technology designed to help increase safety and mobility on roads and bridges at a second test site in the state.

The technology, called SafeLane ™ Surface Overlay, is a patented combination of epoxy and stone that acts like a rigid sponge, storing deicing chemicals inside and automatically releasing them as snow and ice conditions develop.

The bridge deck overlay will be installed on the twin Route 15 Bridges over Johnson Creek, just south of Blossburg in Tioga County.

It will be applied to 65,000 square feet of surface on the 765-foot-long concrete bridge decks.

Work will begin in the northbound passing lane, which will be closed to traffic.

The northbound lane open to traffic will be 12-feet wide with an 11-foot shoulder.

Upon completion of the passing lane, work will move to the northbound travel lane. Northbound traffic will then have a 12-foot wide lane plus a five-foot shoulder.

Traffic patterns will change as work is completed in each lane.

SafeLane overlay, licensed and marketed by Minnesota-based Cargill, works in this way: prior to a winter storm event, PennDOT plow truck operators will “charge” the overlay with their standard liquid anti-icing chemicals. It stores the chemicals inside, and automatically releases them to help prevent frost or ice from forming on the bridge surface. Plus, it keeps releasing the anti-icing chemicals over multiple events.

“SafeLane can extend the life of roads and bridges by acting as a sealant to reduce the effects of chloride and water intrusion. More importantly, it can reduce crashes and save lives,” says Bob Persichetti, general manager for SafeLane™ Surface Overlay.

Last year, PennDOT installed a SafeLane overlay on the Route 660 Bridge near Mansfield. PennDOT managers were pleased with its winter performance.

The Johnson Creek Bridges’ project is scheduled for completion by June 22.

This $694,000 project is being funded, in part, through a $150,000 grant from the Federal Highway Administration’s Innovative Bridge Research and Construction program, which helps governments incorporate innovative materials and technologies into their bridge projects.

 

(Editor’s note: Bob Persichetti, SafeLane overlay general manager will be available on-site and available for comment on Wednesday, May 16. Please contact Rick Mason ahead of time if you wish to do any on-site coverage or for photos or video during the week of May 14. Thank you.)