Re-striped lanes confusing some drivers in Utah County

PROVO — Now you see it, now you don't.

The Utah Department of Transportation is warning drivers to beware of fading lane lines on I-15.

"We've had to do a lot of lane shifting and re-striping of lanes with all the construction going on down there, and some of that temporary striping has faded out a little bit," said Scott Thompson, spokesman for the I-15 CORE project.

UDOT blames construction and snowy conditions for causing confusion on I-15 from Lehi Main Street to Pioneer Crossing in American Fork.

Therese Spence from Lehi said it's hard to tell which lane is which.

"I'm driving, I'm confused, I'm like, OK wait, I'm not in the lane and I can tell that the other people are pretty much doing the same thing. So everybody's hitting their brakes and it's just nuts," Spence said.

UDOT crews use temporary paint to mark lanes as construction continues on the I-15 CORE project. The paint doesn't last as long, and snowy conditions can deteriorate the striping.

"This time of year the temperature and the elements take a bigger toll on it. We have to have good, dry conditions and warm enough temperatures to make it happen and that's been a little bit tougher this time of year," Thompson said.

Crews periodically check the paint for fading. Thompson said crews were out Thursday night re-striping in some areas and will continue through the weekend.

Once construction is complete, permanent striping will designate traffic lanes. Until then, UDOT encourages drivers to slow down and pay attention.

e-mail: aforester@desnews.com