Curvy roads in Wash. county get special skid-resistant surface

Updated Oct 5, 2017
Photo courtesy of Pierce County.Photo courtesy of Pierce County.

Curvy roadways in south Pierce County, Washington, were resurfaced with a special, “high-friction” material to help prevent motorists from sliding on wet pavement, The Dispatch reports. The following five roads were selected for the project based on curve alignments, speed of traffic, and rate of fatal or serious-injury crashes:

  • Spanaway Loop Road South – curve near 166th Street South;
  • 9th Street East – curve east of 190th Avenue East;
  • 12th Street East and 210th Avenue East curve;
  • 110th Avenue East and 122nd Street East curve; and
  • Orting Kapowsin Highway East – “S” curve near 152nd Avenue East.

The special paving material combines highly durable aggregate materials and high-strength epoxy resin to increase the skid-resistance of the road surface. County engineer Brian Stacy told the news agency that the treatment “has been shown nationally to be effective at increasing safety and reducing collisions on roadway curves with a history of crashes where motorists drive off the road.”

The Pierce County Planning and Public Works Department received a $1.1 million federal grant to help pay for the resurfacing project, which was awarded to Specialized Pavement Marking Inc. Work at the five locations began August 18, 2017, and was expected to take a combined total of 15 days.