This project will assess the durability of various pavement markings designed to be visible under wet-night conditions.  The assessment will take place at an on-road installation with six types of markings installed on a portion of U.S. 460 in Blacksburg, Virginia. The initial retroreflectivity and luminance of the markings will be measured at the time of installation, with subsequent retroreflectivity measurements taken every three months for 18 months.

The researcher will determine how the marking materials degrade, based on traffic volume and snow-removal activity recorded at the site, along with the retroreflectivity performance.  In addition, a human factors-based experiment in natural rain conditions will be performed at the site to establish the visibility needs of the driver. The results of this work should provide VDOT with a durability component for a performance-based specification for the pavement markings materials.