JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska -- As winter comes to a close and warmer temperatures prevail at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, the 773d Civil Engineer Squadron paint shop prepares for road-painting season.
At the forefront of these seasonal changes, safety is a primary concern for both road travelers and the crews working diligently to keep the roads safe.
“It is truly a coordinated effort with the snow barn to get the roads cleaned up in order for us to do our part,” said Jon Murdock, supervisor for the 773d CES paint shop. “Once they are clean and the temperature is warm enough, we begin pre-marking the roads to get accurate measurements. We start by painting the center lane lines and school crosswalks. Once those are under control, we work on fog lines and additional lane lines – crosswalks, turn lanes, stop bars and directional arrows – which are all done by hand using metal templates.”
During this time, motorists may find themselves trapped behind a slow-moving paint truck for a portion of their commute. Although the process may seem slow and even a hindrance at the time, the crew is there working for your safety as quickly and efficiently as possible.
“Drivers need to slow down when approaching or driving near road and painting crews,” Murdock said. “Becoming impatient can create a very dangerous situation for the crew working on the road. We try to be aware of traffic situations around us and get out of the way as soon as possible.”
A lane-striping truck has a crew of two people responsible for multiple things at once. As a result, a flagging truck with a crew of approximately four or five certified flaggers and workers follow behind it, placing signs and road cones to direct traffic away from the wet paint and keep people and property safe. To avoid being late, commuters may need to take this information into account in case their route is affected.
“We try to schedule road painting during reduced traffic-flow times, mainly evenings and weekends,” said Robert Gavulic, 773d CES structure shop element chief. “Were not here to hold up traffic and we do everything possible to let traffic go by. We want people to remember we have families too. Our job is giving commuters the ability to see distinctive lines where children can cross safely while driving in lanes they don’t have to guess at.”