News release by Indiana Department of Transportation:
STARKE COUNTY, Ind. – Indiana Department of Transportation maintenance crews will be conducting seal coating operations resulting in a road closure on State Road 23 beginning on or after Monday, July 17.
State Road 23 will be closed between State Road 8 and State Road 10 for approximately three days. The official detour for this closure will follow State Road 8, U.S. 35, and State Road 10.
Through traffic should utilize the detour or seek an alternate route. Local traffic should exercise caution and follow traffic directions carefully in the area where work is occurring. This work is weather dependent, and the schedule is subject to change.
About Seal Coating:
When seal coating, work is most often completed under road closures to prevent damage to both vehicles and the roadway. If driving through a seal coating work zone, drivers should take extra caution, drive slowly and allow additional space between vehicles to prevent stone chips from damaging windshields or paint.
During these operations, the existing pavement is coated with liquid asphalt, which seals cracks and provides waterproof protection. Aggregate is applied over the seal coat. Once the seal coat has cured, crews will sweep the highway clear of loose stone, apply a fog seal surface coat and paint pavement markings.
This treatment is designed to extend the life of the pavement below by 3-5 years and lower maintenance costs. Seal coating is a cost-effective pavement preservation technique that is utilized across the state of Indiana, saving an estimated $6-$14 in taxpayer expenditures for every $1 invested in extending the life of a roadway.