Road Markings

[DavidEnghauser]

I am preparing to put down the lines on my roads and would like some suggestions. Since I am in Virginia I need some on the ground UK help. The roads I have are country and a small village in the 70's. The center lines are I believe a dashed lines. How long is the solid line and how long is the space? I believe the sides are solid. Any thoughts or pictures would be helpful.
Thanks,

David

[LC&DR]

The following is taken from "The Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 1964" to come into effect 1965.

Centre line marking would normally be omitted on minor roads except when approaching or negotiating a hazard. A hazard might be a corner especially where visibility was impaired, a junction or some other increased danger such as a blind summit or hump backed bridge.

Lines were 6 inches wide.

The length of dashes were applied in proportion to the hazard.

A significant hazard required a dash of 18 feet separated by a gap of 9 feet, alternatively a dash of 12 feet separated by a gap of 6 feet in the centre of the highway.

A centre line or a line indicating the location of separate carriage ways otherwise would be marked in three ways, dashes of 3 feet 15 feet apart, or dashes of 3 feet 24 feet apart, or dashes of 6 feet 21 feet apart.

The length of line would depend upon the road speed.

Where it was considered dangerous to cross into the opposite carriageway. a double line would be provided at the centre and this could be solid or dashed.

Where the line was solid it was prohibited for motorists to cross it and a penalty would be liable for anyone who did. Where the line was dashed on your side you were allowed to cross but only if it was safe to do so. The dashes were 3 feet, separated by a gap of 15 feet.

There were also lines across the carriageway at junctions which had different meanings. a dash of 2 feet separated by a gap of 1 feet (or 3 feet separated by 3 feet) marked the edge of a carriageway where it passed a junction. A solid 8 inch line across the carriage way at a junction was provided at traffic signals, usually referred to as the "Stop line". At a junction provided with a Stop sign (Inverted red triangle with STOP underneath) the white lines across the carriage way was a double solid line. At a junction with a GIVE WAY sign the double line would be dashed 2 feet separated by 12 inches.

Some roads also have a white line approximately 9 inches from the edge . At a lay by these would be 3 feet separated by a 3 feet gap, Where there is a hazard the line would be solid, but elsewhere it would be dashes of 3 feet 10feet 6 inches apart.

The following includes illustration that apply today but most have not changed significantly since 1964.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway ... d-markings

[glencairn]

Road markings are not all 'white'. Many are fading/faded shades of grey. A little diorama could be made with workmen repainting a section of lines.

Glencairn

[LC&DR]

The legal requirement is that the road lines should be white, (except the lines for parking restrictions and 'yellow box markings' which are yellow). There are also some red lines to mark where stopping restrictions occur in cities, which have appeared in recent years. In recent years too the white paint contains a reflective powder which shows up better under car headlights at night.

Lines may be contaminated with dirt especially rubber from vehicle tyres which may make them appear grey, but underneath they are white.

[glencairn]

Off course you are correct, LC&DR. Road markings are white.

All I am saying, over time they become dirty and appear grey - even non-existent. A small diorama of workmen painting white lines would 'look good'.

Even the roads themselves; some look like a 'patchwork quilt' of repairs.

Glencairn

[LC&DR]

The OP was from the USA asking about UK roads, and I was trying not to confuse the issue, as they have different rules there.

Road surfaces are infinitely different which can cause all sorts of variation in appearance. Tarmacadam and concrete look very different, but each can vary so much depending upon the aggregate used, and the age of the road surface. Contamination from adjacent land will also cause changes in appearance, with mud and slurry from agricultural or construction vehicles deposited on to the surface. This will affect the appearance of road markings, sometimes obliterating them altogether.

The utility companies delight in digging trenches along the carriageway but rarely match the original surface material when back filling and making good. If they disturb the road markings they will usually replace them, but rarely use the same material as the original highway contractor. Locally there has been much activity installing fibre optic cables and most of our white and yellow lines which were reflective material originally applied by a heat fixing process have now been replaced by non-reflective paint, hand painted, where the cable trench has cut through. Very untidy. Tarmacadam has replaced concrete which usually settles and leaves a pot hole.