Perhaps you've seen it: Various shades of yellow and white striped lines across the lanes of I-4 in Lakeland.

While many drivers believe this to be part of a larger speed surveillance project, the truth is you are part of a statewide test every time you drive over one of the lines.



The marks are in the left lane along both eastbound and westbound I-4 between Polk Parkway and Galloway Road.

Robin Stublen, with the Florida Department of Transportation, said they call it a "test track." It's a place for state materials engineers to see how the striping materials they use hold up under actual conditions.

"The materials that work best are those that are the long lasting and those that help drivers stay in their lanes while traveling during the day and nighttime hours," Stublen said.



The project was started in 2009 by Nikita Reed, a researcher with the Department of Transportation. It's a process that's still used when determining the best materials for roadways.

Stublin said the one in Lakeland is the only materials test track in the state.

"I-4 was selected because it met a strict criteria that was outlined by the National Transportation Product Evaluation Program," Stublen said. "The drivers traveling on that segment of I-4 are assisting (Florida Department of Transportation) and other (state Department of Transportation officials) with the long-term testing of traffic striping products used on Florida's interstates."

The lessons learned on the roads in Lakeland will assist drivers throughout the state.

