The dreaded days of squinting eyes and gripping the steering wheel while navigating on Interstate 80 during rain and snow may soon be over, at least on a portion of the roadway.
The Utah Department of Transportation this week announced the next phase of upgrades to lane striping on freeways across the state, with work scheduled on I-80 near Lambs Canyon to U.S. 40 in September. Gov. Spencer Cox on Monday said the new striping will be more reflective and last longer than what it is replacing.
“You’re driving down I-15, it’s dark, it’s raining hard and all of a sudden the lines just disappear. That’s the complaint we hear the most,” the governor said during a press conference. “Over time, of course, as snowplows … scrape that snow off and it scrapes that paint, and especially the reflective qualities of the paint as it freezes and thaws, it just doesn’t last that long.”
The Enhanced Freeway Striping project focuses on lane markings in the Wasatch Front. The effort replaces the existing lines with two-inch wider markings and contrast striping known as a “tiger tail,” which includes a white line followed by a black line. The design increases visibility and is also helpful for autonomous vehicle sensors and cameras, according to UDOT. It uses tape, rather than paint, which lasts for around seven years.
Cox said funding wasn’t available for lane striping until the most recent legislative session. Around $20 million was allocated for a one-time project with $6 million given annually to maintain the striping.
Before the new markings can be installed, UDOT crews must first sand away the old paint. Then they start embedding the new lines into the road to prevent them from being scraped away by heavy machinery such as snowplows.
The work is slated to begin in Summit County in mid-September and could run through October, depending on the weather. Work is also planned in Salt Lake, Davis and Tooele counties on sections of I-15, I-215, I-80 and S.R. 201.
UDOT also indicated Stillmans Bridge in Parleys Canyon to Lambs Canyon is a potential site for enhanced freeway striping in the future, although it’s uncertain when that project would receive funding.