Drivers alerted to ‘moving caravan’ striping work zone starting Thursday, May 5

PIKEVILLE, Ky. (May 4, 2022) –  Motorists in Floyd, Johnson, Knott, Lawrence, Letcher, Martin, and Pike counties can expect to encounter slow-moving caravans of trucks and heavy equipment starting Thursday, May 5. These equipment convoys will spray waterborne pavement striping on asphalt surfaces. The work is weather-dependent.

Drivers are advised to observe signs on the convoy vehicles as well as flaggers, to slow down when approaching the moving work zone, and to pass using extreme caution.  The convoy consists of a lead broom truck which sweeps the roadway, a striping truck followed by a pickup, and a fourth truck with a crash cushion. The contractor expects to work 14-hour days, five or six days a week, from 7 a.m. until 9 p.m. with four or five crews.

Re-striping is done statewide on a rotating basis so that all state roads are striped a minimum of every three years.

The striping process is a slow-moving operation; the equipment moves at a pace of 10-12 miles per hour. The contractor will make adequate stops throughout the work zone to allow traffic to pass in a safe manner. This is routine maintenance and one that is important for highway safety. When it’s dark or visibility is low because of fog or rain, it is difficult to judge whether you are staying in your lane. Fresh striping will definitely improve safety and decrease driver anxiety.

Removing paint from vehicles 

If waterborne paint comes in contact with a vehicle, 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 more than a day. If the car wash does not remove the paint, allow the water to dry off the vehicle, then spray the paint residue with WD-40 and allow it to remain for 1-2 hours. Then re-wash the vehicle. The WD-40 will soften the paint without harming the vehicle finish. If there is a heavy concentration of paint, repeat the WD-40 procedure.

For heavy accumulations of paint that has dried for several days, apply a liberal coating of Vaseline to the dried 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 the paint, repeat this procedure.

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

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