(Anchorage, Alaska) – The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOT&PF) Central Region announced the commencement of their annual springtime highway sweeping and striping activities.

Region-wide, the department sweeps all of its highways and byways at least once a year. In the greater Anchorage area, including Eagle River, two contractors will conduct four sweeping efforts with distinct deadlines for each, as follows:

1st Sweep of Arterials - May 15

1st Sweep of Residential - June 1

2nd Sweep of Arterials - June 1

2nd Sweep of Residential - August 1

3rd Sweep of Arterials - August 1

3rd Sweep of Residential - October 15

4th Sweep of Arterials - October 15

“We started the first phase of sweeping on Sunday,” said Randy Vanderwood, DOT&PF Central Region Chief of Maintenance and Operations. “Despite our heavy snows the gradual spring breakup, we are pushing hard to maintain our normal cleanup schedule.”

Highway striping operations typically follow the sweeping operations to help ensure good adherence of the fresh paint to a recently cleaned roadway surface. In prior years, one striping truck and crew was responsible for highway striping for both the Anchorage and Mat-Su Valley areas. In 2012, the department will utilize new federal preventative maintenance funding to contract the Mat-Su striping to private contractors.

“By contracting the Mat-Su striping, we’re really strengthening our overall response to both areas,” said Vanderwood.  “Our customers will benefit because we’ll be able to get more paint down in both areas sooner than in previous years.”

The deadline for striping in the Mat-Su area is June 30th. Vanderwood expects about the same timeline for Anchorage-area highways.

The Department advises highway travelers to be alert to slow-moving equipment and work crews as they conduct their annual springtime efforts to improve both the appearance and safety of Alaska’s highways.

The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOT&PF) oversees 254 airports, 11 ferries serving 34 communities, 5,700 miles of highway and 660 public facilities throughout the state of Alaska. The mission of DOT&PF is to “Get Alaska Moving through service and infrastructure.”

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