The Indiana Department of Transportation plans to chip seal sections of State Road 135 between Palmyra in northern Harrison County to Brownstown in Jackson County — weather permitting — beginning Tuesday.

Crews from INDOT maintenance units plan to place surface treatment materials on more than 14 lane miles of State Road 135 early next week from U.S. 150 to Shorts Corner Road in Washington County, according to a news release from INDOT. This pavement preservation operation should be completed within two days.

INDOT personnel will move further north to apply chip seal to State Road 135 from Kossuth Road located 6.98 miles north of State Road 56 in Washington County to U.S. 50 at Brownstown.

Officials anticipate chip sealing the 28.5 lane miles within this segment will require three days to complete. This work could begin as soon as Thursday — if rain does not push the schedule back.

Flaggers will be onsite all five days to direct motorists around crews and equipment during chip seal operations.

Chip seal surface treatments consist of two material applications.

First, an asphalt emulsion is sprayed as a seal coat to protect existing pavement from water intrusion and ultraviolet ray degradation, extending service life and lowering future maintenance costs. Then, aggregate chips are spread atop the fresh asphalt “choking” adhesion so traffic can quickly return to the treated roadway. Aggregate chips provide the surface friction needed to optimize maneuverability and stopping capabilities.

INDOT officials advise motorists to drive very slowly and with extreme caution on highways that have been freshly chip sealed to avoid vehicular damage from loose aggregate or asphalt spray.

A fog seal will be placed on State Road 135 at a later date.

Experience shows that every $1 spent on these surface treatments saves $6 to $14 down the road.