Initiative underway to determine how CT road lines can be improved, more visible

The Connecticut Transportation Institute (CTI) said road line visibility is a topic more drivers are noticing compared to years past, although they say no one is exactly sure what's causing this uptick in complaints.

The CTI and the Connecticut Department of Transportation (DOT) are looking to get to the bottom of it.

It depends on the weather,” Francisco Ramalho, of Naugatuck, said.

"It's actually difficult as you get older, you can't see the lines,” Joe Valente, of Naugatuck, said.

Since 2015, data from the CTI shows 56,873 crashes occurred during nights where the pavement was wet.

"We're actually driving every mile of state road. And what that's going to do, it's going to allow us to prioritize which sections of roadway need to be painted,” Eric Jackson, executive director of the CTI, said.

Jackson said this experiment will help determine which roadways need priority to have their lines get more retro reflective.

They're also going to see which paints last the longest and are the most retro reflective for the most amount of time. They've hit 4,000 miles so far.

“This is not just a Connecticut problem. It's actually a nationwide problem. We're hoping the paint vendors will come up with some new technologies that will be able to put on our roadways to make the lines more visible,” Jackson said.

He said Connecticut is leading the way in this initiative, one of the first states in the country to get this retro-truck rolling, which uses cameras and AI vision to see how retroreflective the road lines are.

“This is a constant process of yes, there are certain roads that probably have not been upgraded and certain ones that have been upgraded. It's a continual effort that we do here, as we re-stripe and repaint thousands of miles of pavement markings every year,” Josh Morgan, with the CT DOT, said.

Morgan said last year, the state enhanced over 2,200 miles of existing surface markings to increase visibility and reflectivity, with the goal of resurfacing every three years.

They've also installed over 2,300 miles of recessed pavement markers, which can be seen in rumble strips, replaced every six years.

“There are thousands and thousands and thousands of miles of these pavement markings around the state of Connecticut. And as soon as you put fresh paint down, it's immediately starting to wear the next day, that same night," Morgan said.

The federal standard for how retro reflective markings needs to be is 50 millicandelas.

The state said Connecticut’s retro reflective markings are at least four times greater than federal standards.

"People are relying on those pavement markings, they're relying on the signs,” Morgan said.

Morgan said keeping up with the wear and tear is constant, but also encourages Connecticut drivers to make sure they don't drive distracted or impaired ever, and definitely not in less-than-ideal conditions.

"Weeks like this, when you're traveling, keep those headlights on, make sure you have the fresh wipers to help with visibility on your windshield, and stay alert behind the wheel. Because of drivers around you, other hazards that can be in the roadway,” Morgan said.