City, PROSEAL to begin sealing streets

The city of Fort Scott, in conjunction with PROSEAL, will be preserving several streets recently asphalted by the city.

Reclamite, a surface sealer that extends the life of the pavement, will be applied to the streets. All affected property owners in the area will be notified with a door hanger on their front door. According to a news release from the city, the following streets will be closed sometime during the day Tuesday:

Fairway to Meadow Lane into Horton.

The following street will be closed sometime during the day on Wednesday:

National from Sixth Street to Mill Creek Bridge.

It is imperative that all traffic be off the streets to be sealed by 8 a.m. on those mornings for the streets listed.

The contractor will close the street and apply the product with an oil distributor. About one to two hours after the product is applied, a sand blotter will be used to reduce tracking. Motorists should not drive on streets until the sand has been applied. The streets will be slick and drivers may get oil on their vehicles, the release said.

After the sand has been applied, the street will be opened to traffic. To reduce the chance of pickup on their vehicles, motorists must hold their speed to a minimum for several days following the application, the release said.

Subject to weather, the sand will be swept away one to two days after application. Traffic will not be kept from streets more than eight to nine hours. The street should be open one to two hours after application of the Reclamite product.

The product is clear in color and as a result the darkening of the street will be temporary and has nothing to do with performance. The sealer will not restore damaged pavement but will preserve the streets in their current condition for years to come, the release said.

Keep children and pets off the street during the application process, or they may track oil into homes. People should check their shoes and their pet's feet for residue after application to the street to protect floors. If residue is tracked into a driveway or garage, it can be washed off or it will wear off in two to six weeks. Residue on vehicles should be immediately washed with soap and water to remove it, the release said.

If not, a good degreaser at the car wash works well.

If due to weather -- rain, wind or heat -- or mechanical problems, workers do not get to a particular street sealing on the day scheduled, the city will notify residents in that area of the new date streets will be sealed.

Questions can be directed to Fort Scott City Hall at (620) 223-0550. More information is posted on the city's website, www.fscity.org.