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Drivers having trouble seeing lines on roads

"You kind of just don't know where to go," Brune said.

More rain is coming and it could cause problems for drivers across the St. Louis region. Some people say they can't see the lines painted on the roads in all of this rain.

Almost every day, Elaine Brune drives on Arsenal Street from Gustine Avenue to Kingshighway Boulevard.

"Even during the daytime, the white lines are kind of fady-ish," Brune said. "It's kind of hard to see."

At night, it's even harder to see, Brune said. Add rain into the mix and staying in your lane can be even more challenging. Brune said it's especially difficult driving on roads with lanes that seem to suddenly shift.

"You kind of just don't know where to go," Brune said. "It's not just Arsenal. I know there are other streets."

Brune has a message for the street department.

"Use reflective paint so we can see where we're going," Brune said. "Then, you wouldn't just have to follow the tail lights in front of you and hope they're going in the right lanes."

Traffic Commissioner Deanna Venker said crews do use reflective paint.

"We use reflective beads as well that go on top of the paint," she said.

It's the same product the Department of Transportation uses on highways. But it's not perfect.

"The winter weather affects paint," Venker said.

Crews re-stripe roads twice a year — before winter and in spring. However, on a rainy day, they have to wait.

"It's like mowing your lawn in the springtime," Venker said. "You can never find the right time to mow it because it's always wet."

When the rain stops, they'll get out again. They'll begin with main roads, including Grand, Kingshighway, Jefferson, Lindell, Skinker, McCausland, Forest Park Parkway, Natural Bridge Road, and Page Boulevard.

"We usually work some longer hours, do a little catch up on weekends to get everywhere we need to be," Venker said.

There's a plan in place, but if you know of an area that needs a fresh coat you can let the City know.

There are better quality reflective products out there. Thermoplastic road marking paint and 3M marking tape tend to last longer. However, Venker says they cost more than waterborne and acetone road paints and are only used for more permanent types of projects.

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