Annual highway striping begins next week in North Idaho

COEUR D'ALENE - Starting next week drivers will begin seeing Idaho Transportation Department striping crews on highways across North Idaho as the department kicks off its annual re-striping work. (Photo)

From now through the end of summer, crews will repaint hundreds of miles of lane lines on state highways to improve visibility and help keep drivers safe. Striping operations are scheduled between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. daily, including some weekends, weather permitting.

Drivers should expect slowdowns and short delays as they travel through mobile striping work zones. Following the direction of crews, pace vehicles and posted signs through these areas helps keep traffic moving safely while ensuring the safety of roadway users and the freshly applied pavement markings.

The first few weeks of work are scheduled as follows:

• July 7-16: U.S. Highway 95 from Coeur d'Alene south to the Latah County line, including State Highway 58 from US-95 to the Washington state line near Worley.
• July 12: Interstate 90 from the Washington state line to Post Falls. Drivers should expect lane reductions and delays while crews are working.

• July 19: State Highway 97 from I-90 to Harrison.

Many drivers assume it's the paint itself that makes lane lines reflective, but it's actually millions of tiny glass beads (video) that are applied over the fresh paint. This year's striping program will use an upgraded glass bead mixture designed with technology to provide brighter nighttime visibility and longer-lasting pavement markings, helping lane lines stay more reflective over time.

(Video example showing a layer of glass beads being applied directly over top of yellow painted stripes.)

ITD schedules striping work during daylight hours because crews require adequate visibility to place accurate pavement markings, and warmer daytime pavement temperatures are necessary for the paint to cure properly.

Fresh pavement markings also require time to dry before vehicles can safely drive over them. Motorists are reminded to slow down, remain in their lane, and avoid driving over wet paint.