PennDot's Tar and Chip Program Resumes

After putting the tar and chip program on hold due to faulty emulsion, PennDot is resuming the process that fills-in and seals cracks in the pavement on a number of roadways in Allegheny County. PennDot had already processed 18 miles of road using emulsion from Marathon Petroleum Co. out of Findlay, Ohio when they noticed that the mixture was not working properly. PennDot spokesperson Jim Struzzi says the "emulsion failed to harden and actually seeped up into the pavement and caused it to chunk-up."

They suspect that the company provided them with defective sealant, but Struzzi says the matter is still under investigation. Meanwhile PennDot has commissioned Russell Standard of Bridgeville to supply the new batch of emulsion and are beginning the tar and chipping process on the 132 miles of road that have yet to be repaired. Struzzi says they are also correcting the roads that were treated with the bad emulsion.