Pavement Marking Demonstration Project

Under Public Law 109-59, the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation was directed to conduct a demonstration project in Alaska and Tennessee to study the safety impacts, environmental impacts, and cost effectiveness of different pavement marking systems and the effect of State bidding and procurement processes on the quality of pavement marking material employed in highway projects. This report outlines the development of the demonstration projects and the research findings to date. Preliminary findings indicate that States are pursuing alternative procurement strategies to provide high-quality durable markings in a cost-effective manner, often as part of their Strategic Highway Safety Plans, while industry has responded to requirements for more environmentally benign materials. A multistate retrospective analysis suggests that the use of 6-inch edge lines does result in a reduction in several crash types on rural two-lane two-way roads, as compared to 4-inch edge lines. As of the date of this report, pavement markings installed as part of the demonstration project in Tennessee have not yet degraded to the point where comparisons of the cost effectiveness of alternative pavement markings can be made