A dip in temperatures has again delayed lane restriping of Eagle Mountain Blvd., which was previously planned to be completed this week.
The restriping of Eagle Mountain Blvd. has been in the works for months, according to Chris Trusty, Eagle Mountain City engineer. A wetter-and-colder-than-average winter has repeatedly delayed completion of the project.
“It just doesn’t hold if it gets below freezing,” says Trusty. “It looked promising two weeks ago, the forecast looked good. But then we just had to kind of pull back.”
The restriping project has been a concern among some residents who have been waiting for the project’s completion since early winter. Some residents have made their concerns known in the Eagle Mountain City Citizens Facebook page.
“Since they widened the road, it’s become a guessing game where your lane is. Especially at night,” said one resident on social media in January.
“A barrier should be put up immediately and the lines need to be repainted as well – a serious accident is going to happen there if something isn’t done soon,” another resident posted.
Trusty says he recognizes that the road was striped in less-than-ideal conditions after a portion of the roadway was widened in summer 2022.
“The road was a little bit dirty when we did it before and it was cold,” he says. “And we don’t want to make that mistake again.”
In addition to colder temperatures, the amount of precipitation Utah has received since December has made it impossible to restripe Eagle Mountain Blvd. 2023 has been the third wettest year to date since 1985.
“We also want to make sure it’s dry,” says Trusty. “We don’t want to paint it and then have it rain.”
Trusty says that the weather will need to be dry and within 40-60° F consistently for three or four days before the conditions will be optimal for restriping.
Prior to restriping, crews will remove existing striping and clean the road to ensure a lasting application, according to Trusty. He says he is hopeful that warmer temperatures next week will allow crews to both prepare the road and repaint the striping.
In the meantime, the City Streets department will continue to mark the road with temporary paint and reflective tabs.
Trusty says that by waiting for optimal conditions, the lane striping on Eagle Mountain Blvd should last for several years, with periodic touch-ups every three or four years.
Restriping for Eagle Mountain Blvd. is tentatively planned for later this month, depending on the weather.
