The chip and seal program is a cost effective method that prolongs the life of the pavement.  The chip and seal is a process in which a liquid asphalt is sprayed on the road and small chips of stone are spread on and rolled into the liquid.  This process seals the road and gives it an additional wearing surface.

Prior to overlaying a road with asphalt, the highway department will berm or remove the buildup along the edge to allow the stone to be exposed and drain water that might be standing on the edge.  This allows for better drainage off the road and allows the road to be paved as wide as possible.

The county tries to keep the shoulders of the road mowed for safety reasons.  The clear shoulder helps increase safety, due to the narrow pavements on most county roads. Mowing increases the ability to see when pulling out at intersections.  The county will generally mow a five foot width and the property owner should maintain the rest.

The speed bump is an increased hazard to the unwary, a challenge to the daredevil, a disruption of the movement of emergency vehicles, the cause of an undesirable increase in noise, and a real problem to snow removal.  Courts have held public agencies liable for personal injuries resulting from faulty design.  Because speed bumps have considerable potential for liability suits, Bartholomew County does not use them as a traffic control device.

Stop sign requests will not be accepted.

Stop signs installed in the wrong places for the wrong purposes usually create more problems than they solve.  The common misuse of stop signs is to arbitrarily interrupt traffic by causing it to stop or by causing such an inconvenience that motorists are forced to use other routes.  Studies show that speed is reduced in the immediate vicinity of the "nuisance" stop sign but were actually higher between intersections than before they were installed.