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Drivers Not Happy with Oil and Chip Work on Route 115 in Monroe County

TOBYHANNA TOWNSHIP, Pa. — It’s a bit of a rocky road for drivers on Route 115 near Blakeslee. PennDOT recently treated the road using a process call...

TOBYHANNA TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- It's a bit of a rocky road for drivers on Route 115 near Blakeslee. PennDOT recently treated the road using a process called oil and chipping.

Timothy Jones from Tobyhanna Township showed Newswatch 16 the marks left on his car.

"It chips the windows, if you look on my windshield, the hood. I have chips all over my car. It's ridiculous," said Jones.

PennDOT officials tell Newswatch 16 that oil and chipping is an important tool for road maintenance. It seals the road and stops water from getting into it. It also prevents potholes.

Signs are up to alert drivers where oil and chipping was done.  Still, frustrations are high.

"It sucks. You got dust going everywhere, tar all over the cars, and it's impossible to clean," said Mike Horoszewski, Blakeslee.

Some drivers we spoke to understand why PennDOT would use this method on rural roads, but not roads where the speed limit is 55 miles an hour.

"It's much noisier. It creates a hazard, I think. The chips flying around and so forth," said Joe Smith, Blakeslee.

Joe Smith lives right on Route 115.  He gets the concept but doesn't think it belongs here.

"Well, I am not opposed to the tar and chip necessarily because I think it's a safer way to go on icy road and so forth, but I think the way they did it might be a problem," said Smith.

PennDOT says that when you see signs for oil and chipping, slow down to keep the chips from flying.

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