Line Marking, Essential
In the central, eastern and northern divisions, the painting of white lines on the roads is the responsibility of a Fulton Hogan Hiways (FHH) seven-man line marking crew.
¡°Line marking is essential for safety. The lines provide a guideline for motorists and pedestrians, so that all road users can be safe. Markings must be legible and lanes marked correctly,¡± FHH Line Marking Supervisor, Kayne Thompson said.
He said between January and April this year, the crew has already used 80,000 litres of paint to paint 343 kilometres of centre-line markings, 93 kilometres of dashed centre lines, 139 ¡®giveway¡¯ markings 97 stop markings, 164 speed hump triangle markings and 2168m2 of pedestrian bar markings ¨C the most frequently painted marking on the road network.
¡°Not only are the lines painted white, but a glass powder is spread over the wet white paint so that there is a highly reflective surface. This is important for safe night-time driving.
¡°Even if the white marking is still visible, if the reflective surface has faded, then we need to repaint the lines for safety¡¯s sake. When the reflection fades, it is really dangerous driving at night,¡± Mr Thompson said.
Three of the crew mark centre-lines only, using the line-marking apparatus on the marking truck, while the other four crew members use the hand-operated line blazer machine. This is used for marking bus stops, parking spaces, give-way lines, stop lines and turning lanes.
¡°FHH road inspectors keep us informed on a daily basis as to which lines are faded and need remarking,¡± Mr Thompson said.
FHH is working with the Fiji Roads Authority to provide maintenance on roads in the Central, Eastern and Northern Divisions.
