Road Striping Part 1

Road Striping Part 2

Road Striping Fact Sheet

The “Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices” (MUTCD) is the national standard that guides our decisions on which county road segments require markings. Our road system has about 620 miles of road we are responsible to maintain. Of that, there are approximately 740 lane miles of individual edge and center line re-painted annually.

The Fact sheet is to provide the residents of Mason County information about the striping program by answering some of the frequently asked questions.

Why Stripe?

To maintain a safe road system, Mason County stripes a portion of the system annually during the summer months to maintain lane delineation and reflectivity of the road markings improving visibility of road lanes at night and during rainy conditions.

Who does the work?

The striping program is done by a contractor with the support of two county employees from the Sign Shop and a Road Deputy from the Mason County Sheriff’s Department.

When does striping season start?

Weather permitting, most the work is normally done in June or July. A second round is done in August or September to complete the roads chip sealed by county crews during the summer season. It normally takes about two to three weeks to complete the striping program.

What happens when drivers drive over wet paint?

When drivers ignore the warning signs and drive in the wet lane stripes, they splatter paint onto their vehicles, track paint over other parts of the roadway, and remove thousands of tiny glass reflector beads that are designed to be clearly visible when illuminated by headlights. Drivers need to be patient and wait for the mobile operation to pull off of the roadway before passing.

If you accidentally drive in the wet paint, how do you get it off you vehicle?

The paint can be washed off with dish soap, but needs to be removed as soon as possible; the longer it sits, the harder it will be to get off. If it sits too long try using Bug and Tar Remover.

Drivers can protect their car from damage by keeping an eye out for striping crews during the summer months, avoiding lane changes on freshly painted lines, and check the County website under Public Works Road Maintenance to see where crews are striping each week.

How is the work done?

The striping program consists of a spray truck supported by an advance warning vehicle, and trailing warning vehicle to caution motorists of the striping operation. Depending on type of spray truck being used, one edge line, and centerline, may be striped at the same time. The spray truck applies glass bead into the fast drying wet paint, and the rear support vehicle follows as the paint dries. Under normal weather conditions the paint dries in a minute or two.

What causes the overspray?

The overspray is due to the reflective glass beads that have drifted off the spray line. It wears away from traffic and rain after a couple of weeks.