I-55 to get wider stripes as part of safety project

Interstate 55 is changing its stripes -- they're getting wider and, transportation officials say, safer.

The interstate is among the 2,200 miles of Missouri roadways that will soon be sporting a new look, with brighter, longer-lasting center stripes, according to the Missouri Department of Transportation.

In the southeast district, new so-called "waffle tape," as opposed to reflective paint, will be placed on 165 miles of I-55 from Ste. Genevieve to the Arkansas border, according to operations engineer Lynelle Luther.

The tape has a raised pattern for a high level of reflectivity, making it more visible to drivers during rain and at night, she said. The new tape will be 6 inches wide instead of 4 inches wide, Luther said.

The tape is more expensive than paint, but MoDOT estimates the cost for the work will be $29 million, which is less expensive than the $31 million it spends to stripe annually. The durable tape is expected to last eight years, according to the department.

The northern portion of I-55, along with I-70 and other highways, will also get the new tape as part of project, she said.

Though some of the work in other areas begins next month, the I-55 restriping is expected to begin next spring and be finished by the end of 2006, she said. The new striping is also going to be used on I-57 in Mississippi County and other high-traffic highways in the state but will eventually be used on other minor roadways.

"I-55 will just be the place we start and the place motorists will notice it first," Luther said, speaking of the local work.

The 2,200 miles of roadway in the state getting the new striping account for 60 percent of all traffic in the state system. About 86 percent of Missouri's population lives within 10 miles of one of the selected roads.

New "rumble stripes" are also planned for portions of I-55. Rumble stripes vibrate when drivers drift off the side of the road. While similar devices already exist on some Missouri highways, MoDOT plans to move them closer to the shoulders where possible, according to MoDOT outreach coordinator Sandy Hentges.

It's all geared toward safety, MoDOT says.

"We've studied highways around the country and worked with the nation's leading companies to develop the best products for Missouri," said system management director Don Hillis. " ... The pavement marking industry is constantly evolving, and MoDOT will keep abreast of these changes by continuing to test new materials and processes."

smoyers@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 137