🤔 ‘Oil and chip’ resurfacing of Pa. Route 437 raises concerns

[GOYABEAN]

driving.gif Signs warn motorists of work being done on Route 437 between Mountain Top and White Haven that is being resurfaced with a seal coating called ‘oil and chips.’ Reports of cracked windshields, oil pan damage and ‘dings’ to vehicles caused have topped the list of concerns over PennDOT’s decision to use this coating process.

https://www.timesleader.com/news/161...s-concerns/amp

[Noah_Zark]

PennDot has been using "Oil and Chips" to resurface SR roadways for decades; they did it in the 60s when I was a kid. Nothing new. Yes, the chips can crack windshields. I suppose the chips can damage oil pans, but if they do, the pan is about rusted out anyway.

I do not like the oil and chip process because of tar spots on, and stone chips in the paint so when it occurs I simply take alternate routes for a few days afterward. My chief complaint with PennDot's use of the process is thy O&C a particular road without first strip patching ruts and other large paving imperfections, and don't bother to spot patch potholes. They do the O&C thing, dust their hands off, and call it all good. It's not. SR948 was O&C'd last summer, and there's long "ruts" in some sections of the road where tires make contact all the time. These throw vehicles around. There are also frost heaved seams across the road which they didn't bother to at least mill down level and just O&C'd right over them.

Another stupid practice here is for PennDot to tar the cracks and joints in early spring. This year, we had an unusually warm February, and PennDot Elk Co tarred cracks then. Later plowing in March and early April scraped most of it off, and now there are cracks that are unsealed which will heave with water ingress this winter, causing pavement chunks to break away.

Noah

[middlefinger]

PennDot has been using "Oil and Chips" to resurface SR roadways for decades; they did it in the 60s when I was a kid. Nothing new. Yes, the chips can crack windshields. I suppose the chips can damage oil pans, but if they do, the pan is about rusted out anyway.

Noah

many newer vehicles use plastic or "composite" oil pans

[Emptymag]

There was a news segment this week about a guy in Monroeville complaining that they ruined his brakes on his Porsche.

They made it seem like it was some specific thing about this one, residential street. I was like "They tar and chip roads all over the place."

[cephas]

I live on a dirt road that has been tar and chipped many times over the decades.
They used to run a heavy roller over it and that sealed it up pretty good.
Could get several years out of it.
Few years ago they did it and it didn't last worth crap. They said the oil they now have to use was the problem. Not the same as the old stuff.
The township threw in the towel this year and blacktopped in front of the house.

[Noah_Zark]

many newer vehicles use plastic or "composite" oil pans

. . . which are stone chip tested and validated in accordance with SAE J400, ISO 20567, or equivalent OEM methods.

Noah

[John_Wick]

Still superior to PA's road repairs.

[2dogs]

I guess since our taxes are so low in PA, this is what they have to do to 'maintain' the roads...

It is downright sinful that we pay as much as we do in this state for gasoline tax, inspections, emissions, tire taxes, etc.... and still have some of the worst roads. For what we pay, the only roads that should be covered with tar & chip surfaces are old country lanes...

[esh21167]

Perhaps there should be a statewide alert for oiling and chipping sent via mobile or land phone lines?

It is far, far cheaper than replacing blacktop. I don't recall exactly, but I did look it up a couple years ago. I think it's like 5-10% of the blacktop cost.

It's a bit nasty at first, but by the time they paint lines, it seems as solid as blacktop (as far as throwing up chips).

[GunLawyer001]

I guess since our taxes are so low in PA, this is what they have to do to 'maintain' the roads...

It is downright sinful that we pay as much as we do in this state for gasoline tax, inspections, emissions, tire taxes, etc.... and still have some of the worst roads. For what we pay, the only roads that should be covered with tar & chip surfaces are old country lanes...

Forget the abortion quagmire, tranny education in schools, Ukraine; next election, the PA GOP should run on "we're going to lower the gasoline tax, eliminate the Turnpike fees, and fix the damn roads".

It should be a shutout, even with Dem cheating.