The Road Commission for Oakland County (RCOC) continues to be a leader in safety and will try a new safety application known as “high-friction surface treatment” to improve traction on two curves on Clarkston Road in Independence Township. Work is scheduled to begin the week of Oct. 10.
The treatment will be applied to the curves located between Clearview Street and Eston Road provides. It provides a coarse, sandpaper-like surface designed to improve friction and reduce the likelihood of traffic running off the road.
The process will begin with cleaning the new asphalt that was placed on the road over the summer. An epoxy will then be applied followed by the application of small, coarse gravel to the road’s surface.
The road will remain open to traffic, and flaggers will direct motorists through the work zone areas. During the evening, temporary lane markings will be placed, and the road will be completely open to traffic.
The project cost is $210,000 and is completely funded by RCOC. The work will be done by Smith’s Waterproofing of Almont, MI.
The work is expected to be complete by Oct. 21.
The Federal Highway Administration has recently promoted the use of this method in areas where there are higher-than-normal numbers of vehicle run-offs. This is the first time RCOC will use this technique. Most recently, the technique was applied locally by the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) to the northbound lanes of I-75 between 11 Mile and 12 Mile roads.
