EVALUATION OF GROOVED TRAFFIC STRIPES ON PORTLAND CEMENT CONCRETE HIGHWAYS

SECTIONS OF GROOVED AND PAINTED TRAFFIC STRIPES WERE EVALUATED FOR VISIBILITY UNDER VARIOUS CONDITIONS AT THREE LOCATIONS: IN A MOUNTAINOUS AREA ELEVATION AT ABOUT 6000 FEET WHERE HEAVY SNOW IS PREVALENT IN WINTER, IN A FOOTHILL AREA WHERE NO SNOW IS EXPECTED, AND IN THE VALLEY ALSO WHERE NO SNOW IS EXPECTED AND WHERE THE TERRAIN IS VERY FLAT. IN THE MOUNTAINOUS AREAS, ALL PAINT WAS REMOVED AFTER THE FIRST SNOW FALLS DUE TO CHAIN ACTION, SNOW PLOWING, AND SANDING OPERATIONS. IN THE FOOTHILL AND VALLEY AREAS, UNDER WET NIGHTTIME CONDITIONS, THE GROOVED STRIPES WERE GENERALLY SUPERIOR TO THE REGULAR STRIPE THOUGH NOT AS GOOD AS A RAISED MARKER LINE. WHILE THE INITIAL COST OF A GROOVED & PAINTED STRIPE IS ABOUT SIX TIMES THAT OF A REGULAR PAINTED STRIPE, THE ANNUAL COST OF A GROOVED STRIPE OVER A 20-YEAR PERIOD WOULD BE ABOUT 60% GREATER THAN A PLAIN STRIPE. IT WAS CONCLUDED THAT A GROOVED STRIPE IS NOT A SATISFACTORY SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM OF LANE LINE DELINEATION IN SNOW PLOW AREAS, AND WHERE NO SNOW IS EXPECTED, THE RAISED MARKER TYPE LINE IS BEST. /FHWA/

  • Supplemental Notes:
    • Contract D-5-34
  • Corporate Authors:

    California Department of Transportation

    1120 N Street
    Sacramento, CA  United States  95814

    Matls & Res Dept 19502-76

    ,    
  • Authors:
    • Shelly, T L
    • Rooney, H A
    • Chatto, D R
  • Publication Date: 1972-9

Media Info

  • Pagination: 31 p.

Subject/Index Terms

Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 00225059
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Source Agency: California Department of Transportation
  • Report/Paper Numbers: Final Rept
  • Files: TRIS, STATEDOT
  • Created Date: Jun 19 1974 12:00AM