Big Y supermarket entrance University Drive
The road renovation/redesign at the Big Y entrance on University Drive commenced last year and only finished last month when the new traffic control signals finally switched on. So some of you may be wondering why the white traffic lane markings are already fading?
According to one of our engineers, "There is a lot of remaining oils in the fresh pavement so the new paint doesn’t stick very well." Which is why the state always uses thermoplastic, a special heavy duty goo that adheres better than paint, lasts five to ten times longer and is more visible...but is of course more expensive.
And some would say a tad too slippery when wet.
No not to your car, but to bicycles and pedestrians. A few years ago the DPW installed bike lanes around town using thermoplastic and were roundly criticized by a bicycle enthusiast or two about the lines being slippery when wet.
So ever since, when the town does a road project, the markings are made with cheap paint that easily fades: By Sisyphus with a paint brush.