NCDOT aims to address Highway 17 visibility concerns this week

LELAND, N.C. (WECT) - NCDOT says they’ve received multiple complaints in the last several months about the striping along Highway 17 in Leland.

“It’s an extreme hazard, especially at night when it’s raining,” said Tenna Stacy, who noticed the problem a few months ago. “That is when it’s like you can’t see any lines. It’s solid black and it’s shiny.”

Crews working on a resurfacing project on Highway 17 put down temporary striping last fall rather than the reflective stripes you typically see. After several weeks, the paint started to fade and drivers complained that it was difficult to see the different lanes.

Crews repainted the lines on February 18 but NCDOT says they can’t put down the reflective lines until the area sees warmer temperatures. Since it’s a nighttime job to stripe the road, NCDOT engineer David Sawyer says temperatures need to stay above 50 degrees for 48 hours for crews to move forward.

“If we were to try to put that reflective material down outside of those parameters, you’ll probably see it not last as long, chip, break up, not be as reflective,” said Sawyer. “We’d have to come back and do it again. We’re having to wait until the spring to finish up.”

Sawyer said on Wednesday that crews planned to put down the reflective striping on Monday, March 20. However, with much of the area under a freeze watch on Monday, that may not be possible.