PennDOT offers details on seal coating work; project begins June 20

CLEARFIELD, PA – With a major highway seal coating project scheduled for Clinton County this month and beyond, PennDOT Friday posted a release on the seal coat practice, a process more commonly known as “oil and chip.”

The work will start on Tuesday, June 20 on Kettle Creek Road and ultimately extend to Route 120 (Renovo Road) between Renovo and Lock Haven.

The PennDOT release says work has been expanded in recent years to cover roadways with higher traffic volumes and it takes two days for “the stones to bond to the hardened asphalt.”.

The highway agency’s release:

Although residents see Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) crews on the roads year-round, they may not always realize the integral role of low-cost maintenance activities in maintaining the state’s network of 40,000 roadway miles. One such activity is seal coating, more commonly known as “oil and chip.”

PennDOT typically employs seal coating on roads with low traffic volumes and speed limits of 35 mph or slower. This activity extends the life of those roads by keeping water out, which mitigates the damage caused by the freeze-thaw cycle of Pennsylvania winters and delays the formation of potholes and the oxidization process. Seal coating also restores the friction of the roadway surface and enhances traction.

In recent years, PennDOT District 2 has expanded its use of seal coating to roadways with higher traffic volumes and speed limits of 55 mph or faster as it strives to effectively manage and preserve its assets while being good stewards of taxpayer money.

PennDOT performs this activity in temperatures greater than 60 degrees, generally between April and September. Crews begin by sweeping the roadway clean of debris. Next, they apply emulsion oil and a layer of stone, which they then roll into place using a roller. Once cured, crews sweep any loose material from the roadway.

Generally, it takes about two days for the stones to bond to the hardened asphalt. Drivers frequently express concern about oil and chips coming free from the roadway and attaching to their vehicle’s undercarriage. PennDOT urges drivers to reduce their speed on roads that have received this treatment during the two-day curing period.