Road line marking is the process of applying paint on a roadway to delineate lanes, indicate turn restrictions or warn drivers of hazardous conditions ahead. It is one of the most important jobs a road maintenance crew can do to keep our roads safe and functional.
There are a wide variety of road markings that are used depending on the environment and traffic situation. Longitudinal lines, centerlines, edge lines, and channelizing lines are some of the most common highway line markings.
The most commonly used color is white. It is most often applied to define lanes of traffic moving in the same direction and show the location of the shoulder of the road. The most basic form of the white line is a single solid line, but it can also be broken or dotted to indicate that the line may be crossed under certain circumstances, such as when overtaking on the left side is permitted.
Yellow lines are sometimes used to indicate that passing is not allowed because of a lack of sight distance. This type of no passing zone is usually established on summit curves or horizontal curves. A single broken line may be placed to the centre of the road with a gap of 4.5 m between it and the standard centre line. A solid barrier line may be positioned to the right of the single broken line in order to prevent drivers from crossing road line marking over the limit.
Other coloured markings include diagonal lines that are found on roads where there are sharp turns or hazards. These lines help guide the driver so they can avoid collisions with other vehicles or pedestrians. Yellow hazard lines are often placed on steep gradients and in curves to warn drivers of the dangers ahead.
Another kind of hazard mark is the chevron, which indicates that a vehicle should stay in its current lane. These markings are most often seen on highways in areas that experience snowy weather, as they provide a clear visual reference in low visibility conditions. These markings are typically a darker colour than the surrounding pavement, such as black material that is added to white lines.
To make sure that all highway line markings are applied accurately, the proper equipment must be used. A road marking robot can greatly speed up the process of pre-marking the lanes and save road construction companies valuable time. It can be used with a GPS system and RTK correction signals to pre-mark lines to centimeter accuracy. Land surveyors can even use it to create high-precision as-built surveys of the different layers of a road. For this reason, a road marking robot can be an invaluable tool for any highway construction or maintenance project. It can be especially useful in the case of a resurfacing project where many different types of lines need to be painted. The robot will not only be able to save the company money, but it can also improve safety by making the job faster and safer.