Annual roadway line painting operations begin

Whitby, Ontario – The Regional Municipality of Durham would like to advise residents that roadway line painting is starting. Drivers are asked to exercise caution when approaching these vehicles. Before heading out on the road, residents can follow line painting operations in real time using live traffic and navigation apps.

When: Operations are taking place primarily on weekdays between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., with occasional weekend and nighttime operations, from June to November.

Where: The Region is responsible for roadway pavement markings on more than 3,700 lane kilometres in Durham, including all Regional roads and many local area municipal roads. Road line painting will also take place at various Ministry of Transportation on and off ramps.  

Why: Line painting on roads is an important road safety feature. Line markings are used to define lanes and guide traffic on roadways, as well as provide guidance to motorists, cyclists and pedestrians about allowable or prohibitive maneuvers.

Note: Line painting is a moving operation that progresses at reduced speeds to ensure the proper application of road paint. Follow-up trucks travel behind the trucks applying the paint to act as a buffer and allow sufficient paint drying time.

Drivers are reminded to please be patient, exercise caution, keep a safe distance back from the follow-up trucks, and do not cross freshly painted lines. The applied paint contains glass beads to make the colour reflective. Driving on freshly painted lines can cause damage to vehicles and compromise the quality of the road lane line reflectivity.

Line painting trucks are equipped with technology that allows residents to view the location of painting operations in real-time. When possible, residents are asked to seek an alternate route to avoid painting operations.

For more information about line painting operations in Durham Region, visit durham.ca/LinePainting.

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For media inquiries, please contact Corporate Communications.