Seasonal Road Work

Paved roads make up the largest part of Thurston County's Transportation system. During the spring and summer months, Public Works completes pavement preservation projects designed to help maintain the investment Thurston County has made in its roads.

Traffic, wet weather, and sunlight slowly degrade asphalt roads. Preventative maintenance helps extend the life of roads, minimizing costly repairs and saving taxpayers money. Pavement preservation projects typically occur in spring and summer months because roads need time to cure in dry weather after they are treated. 

Why work on roads that are in good condition?

Managing the health of a pavement system is similar to managing the health of your teeth. Regular cleaning and maintenance help to keep them in good working order. The cost to replace roads that have fallen into disrepair is much higher than the cost to keep them in good condition.

Chip seal

Chip seal is a process where roads are coated with a thin layer of liquid asphalt and gravel chips. When complete, treated roads become skid-resistant and more resistant to water penetration. The life span of a road with chip seal treatment increases by about eight years when compared to roads without it. The work is usually performed on roads in good condition, in order to keep them from falling into costly disrepair.

Asphalt overlay

Asphalt overlay is a process where a road is covered with a new top layer of asphalt. When complete, the new overlay can add an extra 8-15 years to the life of the road. The work is usually performed on roads in fair condition and is significantly more cost-effective than road replacement.

For more information on pavement preservation, visit the US Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration by clicking here.

 

Vegetation & Drainage Maintenance

From Memorial Day through Labor Day, Public Works crews keep roads clear of growing plants and grass. Managing vegetation helps improve line-of-site for drivers and keeps roads free of debris. Crews also clean and improve the county roads' drainage system during the spring and summer months to help prevent flooding later in the year.

During seasonal road work, drivers can expect single lane closures, heavy, loud equipment, and occasional traffic delays along roads where work is happening.

Road Striping

Paint trucks need to drive slowly to get the right amount of paint on our roads. If you are behind a paint truck, DO NOT PASS—you risk getting paint on your car and removing the glass beads that make the paint reflective at night. If the paint looks bright, stay off the lines.

Striping information: 

• From May to September, +/-1,000 miles of paint is applied.
• Main roads are striped once a year.
• Local access roads are striped every 3-4 years.

Roadway Striping - Things to Know 

This information comes without any guarantee or admission of responsibility by Thurston County. Each year, Thurston County Traffic Operations spends the dry summer months re-striping the roadways throughout the county. The fresh coats of reflective paint that the crews apply during this time make it easier for drivers to see the road at night and in the rain. 

Drivers can protect their cars from damage by keeping an eye out for striping crews and avoiding lane changes on freshly painted lines. 
    - Watch for “Wet Paint” warning signs and warning trucks. 
    - Check the Traffic Operations website at: www.co.thurston.wa.us/publicworks for updates on where the striping operations will be that day. 
    - Make a habit of driving between the lines and avoid cutting corners across traffic control lines as required by the Washington State “Rules of the Road” (Chapter 46.61 RCW)  

The time it takes for striping paint to dry can vary with the outside temperature. Under normal weather conditions, the “no track” time for paint is approximately 2 minutes. The warmer it is, the faster it reaches the “no track” state. Drivers should also be aware that even on warm days, shaded areas remain cooler and may still have wet paint when the rest has already dried.  

When drivers drive over wet lane stripes, their tires splatter paint onto their vehicles and remove thousands of tiny glass reflector beads designed to be clearly visible when illuminated by headlights. The reflective lane stripe helps drivers see the road at night and in the rain, so driving through the wet paint lines could create an unsafe driving condition.   

The paint used on county roadways is engineered to last, which means it’s difficult to remove if it dries on your vehicle. 

Manufacturer's Procedure for Removing Traffic Paint from Vehicles

The following information is provided by the paint manufacturer, Ennis-Flint, without any guarantee or admission of responsibility by Thurston County.

In the unfortunate event that waterborne traffic paint comes in contact with traveling public’s vehicles, it is important to get to a pressure car wash as soon as possible.  This will loosen and remove most of the paint unless it has dried for more than a day. If the car wash does not remove the paint, allow the water to dry off the vehicle, and then spray the paint residue with WD-40, and allow it to remain for 1-2 hours and rewash the vehicle. The WD-40 will soften the traffic paint without harming the vehicle's finish.  If there is a heavy concentration of paint, repeat the WD-40 procedure.

For heavy accumulations or paint that has dried for several days, apply a liberal coating of Vaseline to the dried traffic paint and allow it to remain overnight. The next day, take the vehicle to a pressure car wash to remove the paint.  If this does not remove all of the paint, repeat this procedure.

DO NOT scrub the finish with a solvent or scouring cleanser!  This WILL damage the finish.

After cleaning the traffic paint off of the vehicle, apply a quality car wax to the finish.  Wax should remove any lasting signs of the paint from the finish. 

Wheel wells are very difficult to remove traffic paint from, since they are not normally a smooth surface.  Apply a liberal coating of Vaseline to the area and leave on for several days. Pressure washing should remove the paint from the area.  Applying an alcohol such as Solox or rubbing alcohol to the area in the wheel well will help to soften any residue left from the Vaseline.  Once again, DO NOT scrub the surface, apply with a wetted rag or sponge.