Sealing roads has been used as a preventative maintenance treatment for many years on roadways across the state. A sealing treatment uses an oil to fill small cracks in road surfaces which helps prevent water from seeping into the pavement and reduces the damage done by the freeze/thaw/heat cycle that roads throughout Northwest Missouri are subject to year-round.

Recently sealing projects done by a Missouri Department of Transportation contractor resulted in materials used in the projects adhering to vehicles. MoDOT and the contractor quickly reacted and have been working to help motorists who encountered an issue and to determine a new course of action for sealing projects moving forward.

The contractor made a change in the type of oil they use. They are now using one MoDOT has used for several years with proven success. MoDOT inspectors are on site every day on construction projects and are working both with the change to materials and to the traffic management plan to ensure drivers do not experience these issues with sealing projects moving forward.

If your vehicle was affected by recent sealing projects and you have not heard back from the contractor or their insurance company, please email MoDOT at nwcr@modot.mo.gov with your name, the area where the sealing project took place, your daytime phone number, and your preferred email address.

For more information on this and other MoDOT projects, visit www.modot.org/northwest and view the online Traveler Information Map or call 1-888-ASK-MODOT (888-275-6636). In addition, MoDOT provides updated information on Twitter @MoDOTNorthwest and Facebook at www.facebook.com/MoDOTNWDistrict.