CLEARFIELD — The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) announced that surface treatment operations, more commonly known as “tar and chip,” will result in delays on several roads in Potter County.

This maintenance treatment seals the road surface to keep water out, restores the friction of the surface to enhance traction, and extends the pavement life between resurfacings.

Weather permitting, PennDOT Potter County Maintenance crews plan to complete these operations on the following roads this week:

• All of Route 1001 (Brookland/Fox Hill /Sweden Hill Road/South Main Street) in Sweden and Ulysses Township.
• All of Route 1002 (North Hollow Road) in Sweden Township.
• All of Route 1011(Hickox-Ulysses/West Bingham Road) in Ulysses Borough, Bingham, and Genesee townships.
• All of Route 4011 (Peet Brook Road) in Allegany Township.
• All of Route 4013 (Hollow Road) in Eulalia, Sweden, and Allegany townships.
• All of Route 4017 (Shay Town/Sunny Side Road/Oswayo Street) in Shinglehouse Borough and Sharon Township.

Flaggers in the roadway will provide traffic control during daylight hours. PennDOT urges drivers to reduce their speed on roads that have received this treatment during the curing period or to consider alternate routes.

PennDOT typically employs surface treatments as a preservation strategy 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.

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.