As crews with the Missouri Department of Transportation work to re-stripe various state routes throughout southern Missouri, the public is reminded to slow down significantly when coming up behind a slow-moving striping caravan.
MoDOT said the striping trucks move between 8-12 mph when work is underway. A driver traveling at highway speed can approach a slow-moving striping caravan much quicker than he or she expects because of significant differences in speed.
Drivers are asked to watch for yellow Mo-DOT trucks with flashing strobe lights and boards with flashing arrows and messages.
Striping in cities and towns will be completed overnight to help minimize the impact to travelers.
MoDOT encourages drivers to use caution in and around the striping equipment and crew workers. Here are driving tips to remember when coming upon a striping project:
• On multi-lane highways, be prepared to slow down and pull around the striping train by merging carefully into the open lane. Avoid pulling in among the trucks in the work train to keep paint from getting onto your vehicle and to avoid damaging the newly painted stripe.
• On two-lane highways, stay behind the last truck in the striping train, placed well behind the striping truck. This will give the new paint the few minutes it needs to dry. If traffic backs up behind the striping train, MoDOT crews will pull out of the way where it is safe to do so and let congestion clear.
• If you drive through wet paint, which is water-based, clean your car as quickly as possible with a high-powered water hose, such as those used in car washes.