Route T Surface Improvements Scheduled Across Three Counties Next Week

St. Francois Co., Mo. (KFMO) - Motorists traveling along Route T in St. Francois, Ste. Genevieve, and Perry counties should prepare for brief delays next week as the Missouri Department of Transportation performs driving surface improvements.

Weather permitting, crews will work Monday, July 13, through Thursday, July 16, from 7 a.m. until 4 p.m. daily. The project will cover Route T from Route OO in St. Francois County to Route BB in Perry County.

During the project, drivers should anticipate short, intermittent lane reductions in the vicinity of the work zones and are encouraged to slow down and use caution when traveling through the area.

The work involves applying a seal coat, a pavement preservation treatment commonly used on lower-volume roadways. The process begins with spraying hot emulsion oil onto the roadway, followed by a layer of finely crushed rock that is compacted to bond with the surface. Excess rock is then swept away, leaving an improved driving surface.

According to MoDOT, seal coat treatments help prevent water from penetrating the pavement, improve traction, and can extend the life of a roadway by up to seven years. The method is also cost-effective, costing approximately one-third as much as a traditional asphalt overlay while helping maximize maintenance resources.