Continuous Friction Testing Next Week on State Highways in NE Kentucky
Watch for slow-moving test vehicles on I-64, eleven other roads
FLEMINGSBURG, Ky. (July 7, 2022) – Northeast Kentucky motorists should watch for slow-moving survey trucks on I-64 and other state highways next week for “continuous friction testing” of pavement.
These specialized SCRIM® trucks (Sideway-force Coefficient Routine Investigation Machines) will collect data used to analyze the connection between highway crashes and degree of pavement friction. Ultimately, the data can help the Transportation Cabinet better prioritize road repairs and treatments.
Beginning Monday, July 11, and continuing for several days, the survey trucks will run on interstate lanes in Bath, Rowan, Carter, and Boyd counties – mile markers 116 to 191 – and on eleven other state highways: US 62, US 68, KY 7, KY 11, KY 32, KY 59, KY 173, KY 174, KY 182, KY 1458, and KY 1725.
The trucks test pavement while on the move, and will be slower than normal traffic – between 50 and 55 miles per hour on the interstate, and a maximum of 40 miles per hour on other roads.
Trucks will operate with overhead and rear flashing beacons. Motorists should use caution by passing only when and where it is legally allowed and safe to do so.
Each vehicle applies water to the road surface under the friction measurement mechanism and leaves a 3- to 4-inch-wide water trail in the left wheel path of the road. The water is not harmful and evaporates after about 10 minutes.
The Transportation Cabinet’s goal is to reduce fatal and serious injury collisions by incorporating friction data into the selection process for resurfacing and other pavement treatments. By enhancing pavement management practices in this way, the cabinet will be taking a proactive approach to making roadways safer for motorists throughout the Commonwealth.
The work is being done by WDM USA, a highway engineering company whose specialties include friction equipment.
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