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TIFTON – Striping upgrades designed to improve visibility for motorists are under way on the concrete portion of Interstate 75 in Crisp County and will require overnight lane closures.

The project runs from north of Old Hatley Road to the Dooly County line. The contractor has started working on the northbound lane edge lines. Single lane closures start at 8 p.m. and double lane closures start at 10 p.m. Traffic control will revert to a single lane closure from 5 a.m. to 6 a.m. Contractor Southern States Pavement Markings LLC plans to work seven days a week, weather permitting. A grinder truck will remove the old markings, followed by a sweeper truck to clean the surface before new markings are applied.

Motorists may notice a difference in the appearance of the skip lines that divide lanes. This will be the first use of shadow striping in Southwest Georgia. Black highway lines will follow the white lines. The black stripes create contrast so pavement markings are more visible in rain, snow and sun glare and are useful in areas where the highway is a lighter color, such as concrete. The markings will also be wet-reflective, which improves visibility at night and during inclement weather. Specialized glass beads are embedded in the surface of the material during manufacturing.

The $1.3 million project also includes replacing raised pavement markers. The markers can dislodge from the road when repeatedly hit by vehicles or the reflective panels can be damaged. Markers are another tool to help drivers distinguish lanes, which may help them stay in the correct lane. Lane departure is the number one cause of traffic fatalities in Georgia, followed by roadway departure.