Lake Hefner Parkway white stripes visibility

[djohn]

Driving on Lake Hefner Parkway it is striped with both black and white stripes.

Looking in front of you, the white is NOT very visible at all. However, looking in the rearview mirror, the white is bright and VERY visible. (I don't remember if it is like this on other highways or just LHP)

It appears that the stripes (stickers?) were put on backwards, but I am sure that is not the case.

Anyone else notice this or know why it is done this way?

[JDSooners]

Driving on Lake Hefner Parkway it is striped with both black and white stripes.

Looking in front of you, the white is NOT very visible at all. However, looking in the rearview mirror, the white is bright and VERY visible. (I don't remember if it is like this on other highways or just LHP)

It appears that the stripes (stickers?) were put on backwards, but I am sure that is not the case.

Anyone else notice this or know why it is done this way?

Is it like the reflectors / lights that are yellow but blink red if you are going the wrong way?

[chuck5815]

Bigger problem is the stripes just disappear when it rains.

[soonermike81]

Bigger problem is the stripes just disappear when it rains.

This. Been times in the past when driving in a monsoon with my kids in the car. Was nervous af since didn’t seem like anybody could see the lanes whatsoever.

[corwin1968]

Bigger problem is the stripes just disappear when it rains.

It's horrible, especially in the dark, in rush hour traffic.

[TheTravellers]

This has been a problem for *years* on this road (as well as on dozens of lane-miles on dozens of other roads here in the metro). Probably nothing at all that can be done, similar to all the other huge failings of OKDOT and OKCDOT.

[djohn]

I think the stripes are a type of pavement tape.

They are directional because looking behind you (rearview), the white lines are very bright. If you haven't noticed, then next time you are on LHP, look at what I am talking about.

Surely, they didn't put them on backwards ….right?

[Rover]

I think the stripes are a type of pavement tape.

They are directional because looking behind you (rearview), the white lines are very bright. If you haven't noticed, then next time you are on LHP, look at what I am talking about.

Surely, they didn't put them on backwards ….right?

If they are the tape type they probably have embedded reflective beads, which would be omnidirectional. Painted stripes are less money, but I don't believe they are embedded with any special reflective material.

[Jeepnokc]

If they are the tape type they probably have embedded reflective beads, which would be omnidirectional. Painted stripes are less money, but I don't believe they are embedded with any special reflective material.

I just did a manslaughter trial where the painted lines were an issue in the case so I learned a little on this. The paint also has reflective beads in it that wear out sooner than the paint does according to my expert.

[jn1780]

The broadway ext. just had its lines repainted with the in grove method. Not sure if this would help LHP or not.

[jn1780]

Driving on Lake Hefner Parkway it is striped with both black and white stripes.

Looking in front of you, the white is NOT very visible at all. However, looking in the rearview mirror, the white is bright and VERY visible. (I don't remember if it is like this on other highways or just LHP)

It appears that the stripes (stickers?) were put on backwards, but I am sure that is not the case.

Anyone else notice this or know why it is done this way?

Looks like they are starting a restriping project this week.

[Snowman]

I think the stripes are a type of pavement tape.

They are directional because looking behind you (rearview), the white lines are very bright. If you haven't noticed, then next time you are on LHP, look at what I am talking about.

Surely, they didn't put them on backwards ….right?

I would not be surprised even if it were tape and installed properly, that a larger percent of light would get reflected back up still going forward than gets reflected nearly 180 degrees backward.

[Scott5114]

I would guess that the angle of sun is what makes the stripes appear to be brighter in one direction than the other. (I'm guessing this isn't referring to night driving, since nowhere, even in Oklahoma, have I ever seen stripes that are brighter by tail lights than by headlights.) Since LHP is a north-south road you're probably more aware of it due to seasonal differences in the location of the sun, especially if you notice it most going north in the evening around this time of year.

Try going east on I-40 at about the same time of day and you'll probably notice the stripes being super bright.

As everyone else mentioned, the stripes are simply paint with reflectorized beads. While reflective thermoplastic tape is an option available to road agencies, ODOT rarely uses it. City of Norman has used it in a few locations, though (Lindsey west of Ed Noble Parkway is one). You can recognize it by looking at it closely when stopped; it has a ridged hexagonal pattern to it that looks sort of like the sole of a shoe. If it doesn't have that, it's just paint.

[rezman]

^ There is a thermoplastic powder that is widely used that is put in cookers on the paint rigs and applied to the road surface and is followed up immediately with glass beads applied while the paint is still hot and liquified. This type of striping will produce a raised line surface that can be felt when you drive over them.

[baralheia]

^ There is a thermoplastic powder that is widely used that is put in cookers on the paint rigs and applied to the road surface and is followed up immediately with glass beads applied while the paint is still hot and liquified. This type of striping will produce a raised line surface that can be felt when you drive over them.

I'm pretty sure ODOT uses the thermoplastic hot liquid process for asphalt highways, but I don't think they use it on concrete highways. Whatever they are using on concrete, frankly, sucks even in lower traffic areas. ODOT recently restriped the offramp and approach to SW 59th St from I-35 S within the last several months, and whatever they put down is already starting to chip and flake away.

[Plutonic Panda]

https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/road-saf.../wetreflective

[warreng88]

This is a similar subject question, but not completely, so I am putting it here. Has anyone noticed the solid white lines for on and off ramps from 10th to 122nd on Hefner parkway? They used to have dotted lines and now they are solid going all the way up, save for 50th and Expressway. Does anyone know why?

[barrettd]

This is a similar subject question, but not completely, so I am putting it here. Has anyone noticed the solid white lines for on and off ramps from 10th to 122nd on Hefner parkway? They used to have dotted lines and now they are solid going all the way up, save for 50th and Expressway. Does anyone know why?

I noticed this, too, and I'm not a huge fan of it since the breaks in the line used to indicate the earliest point to enter the off ramp. I wonder if it helps at all with self-driving vehicles?

[turnpup]

They did this on Broadway Extension at Britton for a couple of days until the re-striping occurred, then it was back to the normal dashed lines. My guess is that's what's going on with Hefner Parkway as well.

[jn1780]

Its not meant to be a solid line, its a slight grove in the concrete that contains painted dashed lines. Its easier doing it this way than making a bunch of small groves for the dashes. It actually creates a nice transparent line effect when the painted white dashes are done.

Supposedly the painted lines will last longer when they are embedded in groves.

[bombermwc]

I like the black and white lines myself. Often in those sunny times where the angle is just right or when its raining, the black will show up better than the white.

[FighttheGoodFight]

My two cars with line assist have no issues on the Parkway but have serious issues on the Southbound I-35 crossing over the river. They restriped it a while back and the lines are all kinds of weird. My car just freaks out there.

[mugofbeer]

Its not meant to be a solid line, its a slight grove in the concrete that contains painted dashed lines. Its easier doing it this way than making a bunch of small groves for the dashes. It actually creates a nice transparent line effect when the painted white dashes are done.

Supposedly the painted lines will last longer when they are embedded in groves.

Just trying to help and maybe it's a spellcheck issue but l think the word you mean is "grooves". Groves is a group of trees.

[jn1780]

Just trying to help and maybe it's a spellcheck issue but l think the word you mean is "grooves". Groves is a group of trees.

Thanks, most of the time I make more obvious spell check issues. I'm lazy when it comes to checking what I type in forums.

[OkiePoke]

Does anyone else find it odd there aren't any lights between NW Expressway and the Kilpatrick on LHP?

I guess if there were any lights, they wouldn't work anyways with the history Odot/OGE has maintaining them.