ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – A new surface treatment is being applied to westbound U.S. Route 36 at the s-curve bridge near 10th Street in St. Joseph.

Contractors working with the Missouri Department of Transportation blasted the existing surface of the roadway and are now applying a High Friction Surface Treatment. The product being used is very temperature-dependent and the contractor is taking advantage of the cooler weather to complete the project as early as tomorrow. Crews will now be working 24 hours a day until the project is complete.

This type of treatment is supposed to give drivers a better grip on the road in adverse conditions, such as rain and snow, which will help reduce the number of incidents that could be related to friction. This section of roadway was chosen for the treatment due to the high number of crashes on the curves of this elevated portion of U.S. Route 36.

One lane of U.S. Route 36 westbound will remain open during the work. Residents in the area may experience slightly elevated noise levels during the work, which was originally scheduled for five working days.