The paint on Utah’s roads has a reputation for vanishing in stormy weather — a habit that has prompted memes,TikTok posts and tweets.
That may soon come to an end, as the Utah Department of Transportation implements new reflective lane markings.
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Utahns have mocked the state’s road markings whenever it rains or snows, because they are often not visible in bad weather — causing confusion on where a lane begins and ends, or the boundaries of a parking spot. The markings’ visibility issue is likely due to a combination of increased road traffic, severe weather and wear-and-tear, said UDOT spokesperson Mitch Shaw.
Shaw said Utah’s rapid population growth is a contributor to wearing down the road reflectivity, along with the changes in weather. The state goes from hot, dry summers to frigid, icy winters — and these extreme changes cause the road paint to need more maintenance than in states with more consistent climates.
Treatments during the winter — like salting roads and plowing snow — also contribute to the breakdown of reflective markings, Shaw said. But UDOT is implementing improved reflective technology to withstand these conditions, including a type of road paint with tiny reflective beads and a type of reflective tape that’s ground into road pavement.