The Indiana Department of Transportation has pushed back the start of a chip seal operation on U.S. 31 between Seymour and Austin to next week.

The 28-lane mile surface treatment will begin — weather permitting — Monday and continue through Wednesday, according to a news release from the state.

On Monday morning, the north-south highway will close at the U.S. 50 intersection in Seymour while crews apply surface treatment. Once completed, the roadway will reopen, and chip seal operations will progress southward toward State Road 256 in Austin. Flaggers will direct traffic around moving worksites.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, pavement preservation activities will continue on U.S. 31 between U.S. 50 in Seymour and Just Industrial Parkway in Austin. No application will be made through Crothersville.

The U.S. 31 chip seal will coat the highway’s surface with liquid asphalt, sealing pavement cracks and protecting the roadbed from harmful ultraviolet rays. Small chips of limestone will be used to “choke” the asphalt’s fluidity and minimize adhesion to tires. These aggregate chips also restore surface friction, optimizing maneuverability and stopping capabilities.

Chip seal applications are highly cost-effective as a pavement preservation measure, according to INDOT. Every $1 spent saves $6 to $14 in subsequent expenditures.