Road marking continues in Irkutsk. The work is done by machine and by hand, and the paint is made visible in the dark with reflective beads. The contractor has completed over 80 percent and says it will finish by May 9, though weather and construction dirt make the process harder. This year the city plans to mark 35 thousand square meters by machine and 8.5 thousand by hand, with 22 million rubles allocated.

The work is being carried out by mechanized means — center lines are being applied — as well as manually — pedestrian crossings and other markings on the road, which are made using special stencils. In addition, the paint is coated with special reflective beads, which makes the markings visible to road users at night as well.
The materials used for applying the markings undergo quality control.
“Samples of materials from each batch are sent to the laboratory, where they undergo measurements for all the indicators required by GOST. After that, the laboratory issues a conclusion. Only after a positive conclusion do we have the right to use the materials for applying horizontal road markings. The warranty period for markings applied with paint, in accordance with the 2011 GOST, is three months,” said the contractor company director Alexey Kryuk.
More than 80 percent of the work that must be completed by May 9 has now been done. The contractor says it is on schedule. They were ready to begin work earlier, but cold weather got in the way. Reports on the completed volumes are submitted daily. In addition, quality control of the work is carried out by specialists from the municipal unitary enterprise “IrkutskAvtodor.”
“We closely monitor the quality of the contractor’s work. However, there are difficulties that do not depend on the contractor,” explained the director of MUP “IrkutskAvtodor,” Alexey Kotov. “It often happens that we have prepared the street for marking, cleaned it, and then construction machinery drives onto it immediately, along with unwashed vehicles from which dirt is falling. Although a wash station should be installed at every construction site, and all vehicles should be washed before entering the roadway. Unfortunately, we see a lot of dirt being carried from construction sites onto the city’s roads. This significantly affects our work: first, markings cannot be applied to a dirty road, which slows down the process. And when the markings have already been applied, the dirt, like sandpaper, wears away the paint or plastic that has been laid down.”
This year, road marking work is not being carried out during working hours on weekdays so as not to create traffic jams on the road. In addition to the work crews themselves, or the special vehicles for applying paint, a protection vehicle also goes out onto the roads. In addition, the paint needs at least 5 minutes to dry, so the road is partially closed off. Most of the work is carried out by the contractor at night, and work is also done on weekends, when traffic is not as heavy.
In total, 35,000 square meters of markings will be applied mechanically this year and 8,500 square meters manually. 22 million rubles have been allocated from the city budget for these purposes.
Based on materials from the press service of the administration of the city of Irkutsk