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LEWISTOWN -- The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation announced the following schedule of maintenance activities in Mifflin County the week of Oct. 23. PennDOT performs year-round maintenance in its mission to provide a safe, efficient transportation system, and the scope of work in Mifflin County for the coming week is as follows:
Bridge Maintenance and Cleaning
• Route 522 in Lewistown Borough. Monday, Oct. 23, through Friday, Oct. 27. This work takes place off the roadway and has minimal, if any, traffic impact;
• Route 4013 (Ferguson Valley Road) in Oliver Township. Monday, Oct. 23, through Friday, Oct. 27. This work takes place off the roadway and has minimal, if any, traffic impact.
Pennsylvania has some of the oldest bridges in the country, with an age of more than 50 years on average. Preventive maintenance is vital in extending the life of the structures. As such, PennDOT maintenance crews perform some bridge deck patching and structural repairs.
Crack Seal and Hot Pour Mastic
• Route 1002 (New Lancaster Valley Road) in Armagh Township. Monday, October 23, through Friday, Oct. 27. Flaggers in the roadway will provide traffic control during daylight hours.
Crack sealing and hot pour mastic operations prevent water intrusion from seeping through cracks or joints in an asphalt road, which can lead to potholes and pavement breakup. They are proactive preventive maintenance strategies to prevent water from entering the roadways and accelerating the formation of potholes and other failures.
Pipe Replacing and Cleaning
• Route 4004 (Front Mountain Road) in Menno Township. Monday, Oct. 23, through Friday, Oct. 27. Flaggers in the roadway will provide traffic control.
Pipe replacement and cleaning are essential in maintaining water flow around state roadways. Controlling water flow is one of the most important aspects of maintaining pavements. Uncontrolled water flow will damage both the pavement surface and the area under the pavement, which causes deterioration across the length of the pipe.
Shoulder Maintenance
• Route 322 in Brown and Derry townships. Monday, Oct. 23, through Friday, Oct. 27. Flaggers in the roadway will provide traffic control.
Shoulder cutting removes excess material and debris from unpaved shoulder areas. Shoulder grading involves the shaping and stabilizing of those same areas. Both operations improve drainage, allow water to leave the roadway, and eliminate shoulder drop-offs. These are crucial highway maintenance operations because when drainage systems do not function properly, water collects on the road, weakens pavement, accelerates the formation of potholes, and creates the potential for icing conditions in the winter months.