Laying out lines and throwing cones

A 773rd Civil Engineering Squadron paint shop striping truck lays down lines on Arctic Warrior Drive while motorists pass on either side. Passing the paint crew is not authorized if they are in the same lane, but in this case the truck is in the turn lane, so motorists should exercise caution when driving by. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Kyle Johnson)

Airman 1st Class Nicholas McGee, a 773rd Civil Engineering Squadron structural apprentice augmenting the paint shop walks behind a striping truck, placing cones to show motorists where paint is wet. When driving near or by a paint team, motorists should exercise caution so as to not damage their vehicles or place the Airmen at risk. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Kyle Johnson)

Laying out lines and throwing cones

Published April 27, 2016
By Airman 1st Class Kyle Johnson
JBER Public Affairs

JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska -- The snow's melted and the ice is gone - and so are the markings on the road. Anyone who's been stationed at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson after a spring breakup knows what's coming next: the paint trucks.

This means JBER motorists may find themselves trapped behind a slow-moving paint truck for part of their commute.

The striping truck may seem like a $500,000 obstacle between point A and point B, but the team that operates it is anything but; they're people trying to create a safe road system for you and your family.

"We'll come in and do the center lines on the roads, then come in and do the dashed lines," said Jon Murdock, supervisor for the 773d Civil Engineer Squadron paint shop. "Then follow up with the fog lines and crosswalks while prioritizing the school crosswalks. Then we do the intersections and directional arrows."

They have 15,500 gallons of paint to put out and the process can take all summer, said David Hummel, painter for the 773rd CES. Commuters should plan accordingly when leaving for work in case their commute is affected.

Often, when faced with a working vehicle on the road, one might be inclined to look for an opportunity to pass, but in this case, that could be a costly mistake.

"Unless they are an emergency vehicle, nobody is authorized to pass us while we are out there," Hummel said. "People really need to slow down when they get around the people out there painting. Some of them are really good, but others are dangerous."

Additionally, crossing wet paint can very easily fling paint onto a vehicle, damaging the paint job, not to mention the additional costs for the crew to re-paint damaged lines.

Then there's the bigger risk, by passing the striping truck, motorists are endangering the lives of the paint team.

Behind the paint truck, there will be another vehicle placing flags or cones to indicate where paint is wet and should not be crossed, Murdock said.

"The cones aren't on every wet stripe," Hummel said. "So going between the cones doesn't mean you're not crossing wet paint."

To accommodate smooth traffic, the paint team will leave breaks in the lines so traffic can continue to operate smoothly and with minimal delay, said Senior Airman Austin Huestis, a structural maintenance apprentice with the 773rd CES who augments the paint shop.

With a bit of patience, someone who may be considering crossing wet paint can instead cross at a break with no damage to their vehicle or risk to the paint team.

"Getting paint on a car is no big deal," Hummel said. "But getting somebody hurt, that's unacceptable."