Is it the heat that’s making the tar and chips such a mess on U.S. Route 6 from Keating Township to the Potter County line?
State Rep. Marty Causer, R-Turtlepoint, said he has a chip in his windshield like many other unhappy motorists, many of whom are reporting tar on their vehicles, chips to their vehicle’s paint and even injuries from loose stones flying in car windows.
“We got more complaints than usual this year,” Causer said. “It could be due to a number of factors.”
It’s hot. People are asking if Pennsylvania Department of Transportation is using the right oil and the right stones, because the stones just aren’t sticking.
“I drove on Route 155 right after it was chipped and it felt like driving on a dirt road,” Causer said.
On Thursday, he asked PennDOT what was going on.
“I reached out to the district executive in Clearfield, Tom Prestash,” Causer said. “He told me he was putting an immediate halt on the project and was going to evaluate each part of it.”
Friday morning, Causer started getting calls about the work continuing. He called Prestash again.
“He said they are out there trying to fix what they put down,” the legislator explained.
A spokesman for PennDOT said on Friday, “We’ve been made aware of the concerns relative to the tar and chip on Route 6 in McKean County and are taking action to correct any issues with the potential to cause further damage while also ensuring the safety of the traveling public.”
The tar and chipping project has been going on all week, and Thursday appeared to be the worst of it, Causer said. “Route 6, out by the Potter County line, (commercial trucks) literally had tar and chips coming up on their wheels. It was peeling right up.”
That was an area PennDOT workers were trying to repair Friday.
“I have told them I don’t think they should be tarring and chipping high volume roads,” Causer said. “I have told them they shouldn’t be chipping roads with high truck volume. It should be left for secondary roads.”
No one likes the sealcoat process that is intended to be a cost-effective way to extend the life of the pavement, the legislator said. “I was a township supervisor for years. I know on low volume roads it can help seal the roads,” Causer said. “But not on Route 6.”
It’s a safety issue, with citizens commenting to Causer about losing control of their vehicles in loose stone, having damage to vehicles and being afraid to ride motorcycles on the roads.
“It’s very dangerous for motorcycles,” he said.
Causer said citizens can submit a claim to PennDOT for damages that have occurred, either to the county office at (814) 465-3448 or to the office in Clearfield at (814) 765-0400.
“I’m going to stay on top of the issue,” Causer said.
