Indiana Department of Transportation maintenance crews will begin chip-seal operations as early as Wednesday, July 15 on State Road 135 in Jackson and Brown counties.

Work will take place from the north junction of State Road 58, near Freetown, to the junction with State Road 46 near Gnaw Bone.

Chip-seal operations typically last around three to four days per location depending upon weather, INDOT reported.

Work is completed under lane closures with flagging.

The existing pavement will be coated with liquid asphalt, which seals cracks and provides waterproof protection. This extends the service life of the roadway and lowers maintenance costs, INDOT explained. Once the seal coat is complete, loose aggregate is applied and then swept from the road. After a curing period, crews will return to fog-seal the new surface.

All work is weather dependent; schedules are subject to change.