Why the lines on P.E.I. roads are harder to see this time of year

If it seems like the lines painted on P.E.I. roads don't shine as bright as they used to, you're not wrong.

"We hear that pretty well every year this time of year," said Stephen Yeo, chief engineer for the provincial Department of Transportation. 

There are a couple of reasons why: snow clearing and federal government regulations, he said. 

Ottawa implemented environmental policies about a decade ago that forced the province to stop using the oil-based paint it always had up to that point. 

Yeo said the department tried latex paint, but that wore off the roads in a matter of weeks. Now, they're using a "lesser quality" oil paint, but one that complies with environmental standards, he said. 

"It doesn't perform like it used to." 

Glass beads are added to the paint to make it more reflective in low light. But as winter comes, snow, salt and plows eat those away, too. 

"We're pretty well restricted with the kind of paint we use and how much life we get out of it," Yeo said.  

People may point to other parts of the world that use glow-in-the-dark paint on roads, but Yeo said the illumination only lasts a few hours, and when it's gone, the paint reflects poorly. 

"We do live in a harsh climate during the winter months and it really impairs the reflectivity of our paint lines," he said. "We have to paint every year." 

Despite the challenges posed by Island weather, he said the department is trying innovations to make road markings easier to see. 

Raised pavement markings — small reflectors placed along yellow centre lines — have been used for several years and are "really effective."

Those pieces of equipment are coming to the end of their life now, Yeo said, and are set to be replaced on Route 1 and Route 2 this year. 

As temperatures warm, paint trucks will be hitting Island roads soon, he said. Main highways are painted twice a year, while newly constructed and secondary roads are painted once.