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Living on the Edge Pavement Markings 101
Mn/DOT OTST Office of Traffic, Safety, and Technology
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Pavement Marking Engineer Pavement Marking and Work Zone Engineer
Presenters Mitch Bartelt, PE Pavement Marking Engineer Ken E. Johnson, PE Pavement Marking and Work Zone Engineer
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Overview What are pavement markings?
MnMUTCD Big picture Colors, patterns and widths Types of markings What are pavement markings made of? Materials used and why
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Overview (2 of 2) Exciting new implementations!!! Rumble stripEs
Wet-reflective Grooving Others
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MnMUTCD MN Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices
MN Statute – “The commissioner shall adopt a manual … for a uniform system of traffic-control devices … for use upon highways within this state.”
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MnMUTCD MN Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices
Example of importance: Up until the 1971 version of the Federal MUTCD, white was allowed as a color for centerlines in the United States. The 1971 version standardized yellow for centerlines following decades of debate.
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Purpose of Pavement Markings
Communication system for drivers Provide traffic control Provide guidance Supplement other traffic control devices
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Four categories of markings
Longitudinal lines Parallel to the direction of travel Transverse lines Perpendicular to the direction of travel Arrows, words and symbol markings Special markings
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Markings are a language
Colors, widths and patterns are similar to the alphabet When put together, you get a ‘word’ – particularly with longitudinal and transverse markings Example: - Yellow - Normal width - Double line Centerline in a no passing zone
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Longitudinal lines Delineate vehicular paths of travel (tell cars where to go) Marking: Centerlines Lanes of travel Edgelines
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Longitudinal lines Basic concepts of colors, patterns and widths
Yellow lines Delineate the separation of opposing traffic flows Or mark the left edge of pavement of one-way roadway White lines Delineate the separation of same direction traffic flows Or mark the right edge of pavement Solid lines are restrictive Broken lines are permissive (MN 10’ line – 40’ gap) Dotted lines have multiple meanings (context) Double lines – maximum restrictions Width indicates degree of emphasis
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Centerlines Always yellow and normal width Patterns will give message:
Broken and solid Single and double Passing vs. no passing Special uses of certain lanes
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Centerlines Always yellow and normal width Patterns will give message:
Broken and solid Single and double Passing vs. no passing Special uses of certain lanes Reversible TWLTL
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Lane Lines Separate lanes in same direction Always white
Patterns will give message whether crossing is: Permitted (Broken) Discouraged (Solid) Prohibited (Double solid) Special dotted patterns Lane is exit only or will end Lane line extensions
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Lane Lines
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Lane Lines
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Edgelines Delineate edge of travelled way Always solid
Color indicates roadway direction White always on right side Yellow on left for one-way roadway Ramp or divided highway White on left for two-way roadway Width indicates degree of emphasis Used in gores and drop lanes Wisconsin uses to indicate turn lanes
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Edgelines
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Transverse Markings Stop line Yield line Crosswalks
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Arrow, words, and symbol markings
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Special Markings Parking spaces Cross hatching Speed hump
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Pavement Marking Haiku
Two way left turn lane I cannot pass, I can pass Oh my gosh, wrong way!
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Stats! There were total miles striped on MnDOT trunkline highways in 2008 3502 miles of construction striping 19140 miles of maintenance striping MnDOT spent a total of $12.1 million in 2008 on pavement markings $5.7 million of construction striping $6.4 million of maintenance striping Our laserlux van took 7102 miles of retro-reflective readings in 2009
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Pavement Marking Materials
Retroreflective elements (beads) Liquid pavement markings “Beads” added during application Latex Epoxy Preformed polymer tape “Beads” imbedded Preformed thermoplastic Symbols and messages
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Pavement Marking Materials
As an agency, MnDOT primarily uses three types of products: Latex Paint Epoxy Preformed Polymer Tape
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Pavement Marking General Life Expectancy
Material Approximate Expected Life Latex Paint 1+ year Epoxy 3-5 years Preformed Polymer Tape Up to 10 years
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Pros & Cons: Latex Paint
The cheapest option Easiest to apply Cons: Least durable Most susceptible to wear from higher traffic volumes Will likely need to be replaced every year
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Pros & Cons: Epoxy Pros: Cons: More durable than latex
Cheaper than tape Cons: Lacks UV stability More complicated than latex paint to apply More expensive than latex
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Pros & Cons: Preformed Polymer Tape
Durable (if applied correctly) Better retroreflectivity than other products Cons: More expensive than other products Product failure can cause you to lose entire marking
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Total Striping Mileage*
(Construction + Maintenance) * Does Not Include Pavement Messages April 24, 2009 Operations Division
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Total Striping Expenditures* (Construction + Maintenance)
* Does not include Pavement Messages April 24, 2009 Operations Division
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What’s coming? Materials we’re experimenting with
OTST safety research with pavement markings Rumble stripEs Wet-reflective markings Grooving
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Materials we’re experimenting with
Precut Thermoplastic Pavement Messages Polyurea MMA (Methyl Methacrylate) Wet-reflective epoxy elements
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OTST Safety Research Enhanced Edgelines to reduce run off the road crashes Ground-in wet reflective paint 100 miles in District 4 on I-94 6” wide lines 300 miles statewide Rumble stripEs Safety Initiatives led by Brad Estochen; should have conclusive results by the end of Clear direction given from the public on rumble strips: 86% statewide “totally agree that they are a worthwhile warning of driving outside the lane” April 24, 2009 Operations Division
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Edgeline Rumble stripEs
Provides wet-reflectivity Provides tactile warning Distracted driver Limited visibility conditions Snow Fog Etc
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Centerline Rumble StripEs
NCHRP 641 – Rural Roads 9 percent reduction in total crashes 12 percent reduction in FI crashes 30 percent reduction in total target crashes 44 percent reduction in FI target crashes
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Shoulder Rumble Strips
NCHRP 641 – Shoulder rumble strip data Rural 2-lane roads 15 percent reduction in SVROR crashes 29 percent reduction in SVROR FI crashes Rural multi-lane divided 22 percent reduction in SVROR crashes and 51 percent reduction in SVROR FI crashes
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Wet-reflective markings
Epoxy With Wet-Reflective Elements Epoxy With Standard 1.5 Index Beads Wet-reflective elements added to epoxy or latex, resulting in a wet-reflective marking
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Grooving in markings We know that the marking lasts longer and stays protected Is grooving in materials cost-effective? Depends…
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Contrast is important, too
We worked in concert with Metro Traffic and I-35W Design/Build to address these complaints Drivers complained about lack of daytime visibility of markings on new 35W bridge Each tape skip was tagged with black epoxy as a late-season countermeasure April 24, 2009 Operations Division
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QUESTIONS………… Omnibus n= 800 Statewide unless otherwise noted 41
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