BURRILLVILLE – Yellow lines painted on roadways through downtown Harrisville, and extending into main roads in Pascoag damaged many cars this week, and the Rhode Island Department of Transportation is accepting claims from drivers whose vehicles were splashed.
RIDOT put out a statement on the problem on Thursday, Oct. 11 blaming changing weather and humid conditions.
“Each year, RIDOT puts down 3,000 miles – or 16.1 million linear feet – of striping,” the agency noted in a statement. “Although we try to make sure that all of this is done under optimal conditions, in this case it was not.”
“The abrupt changes in temperature this week and high humidity on the roads in Burrillville lengthened the drying time,” the statement explained. “Cars drove over the striping before it was dry. The excess paint on the roadway, which is water based, will fade with time.”
Traffic cones were placed along many of the lines mid-week to mitigate the damages, but appeared to have all been collected by Thursday evening.
Town Councilor Jeremy Bailey said he’s received around half a dozen pictures from residents whose vehicles were covered in yellow paint.
“Anyone who has driven from Pascoag to Harrisville this week has probably noticed a debacle of a painting job,” said Bailey at the council’s meeting Wednesday night. “You can see that the lines are all hazy and fuzzy. There are tire marks everywhere.”
Bailey said he contacted Rep. Cale Keable, who got in touch with RIDOT to see how claims for damages could be filed.
“I’m sorry to everyone who that happened to,” Bailey said. “Hopefully the state can remedy this.”
Councilor David Place said that the it was a subcontractor’s truck that striped the roadways utilizing RIDOT safety equipment.
“It’s one of those things. The government causes a problem. Now the government is trying to solve a problem.
RIDOT spokesman Charles St. Martin was not immediately available Thursday evening to answer questions.
“We understand that the cars that were affected are understandably concerned,” the RIDOT statement noted.
Drivers who need to file a claim can find instructions at www.ridot.net/claims.
