Saranac Lake Is Testing a Longer-Lasting Crosswalk Material on Broadway. Here Is What It Is.

The Village of Saranac Lake is testing a new type of pavement marking material on Broadway. If it works, residents might not need to think about crosswalk repainting for the better part of a decade.

The Village Department of Public Works participated in hands-on training this week applying methyl methacrylate — known as MMA — at a Broadway crosswalk. The Village described it as a test to evaluate the material’s durability before committing to broader use.

What Is MMA?

Methyl methacrylate is a two-component liquid pavement marking material — a pigmented resin mixed with a catalyst at the time of application. Once mixed, it chemically cures in approximately 15 to 30 minutes, bonding directly to asphalt or concrete without a primer.

The result is a marking that is applied two to three times thicker than standard traffic paint and resists wear from vehicle tires, snowplow blades, road salt, antifreeze, and other chemicals common on North Country roads.

How Long Does It Last?

Standard water-based traffic paint typically lasts two to three years before fading or wearing away. MMA has a documented service life of up to eight to ten years under normal conditions — meaning a crosswalk painted with MMA today could still be highly visible in 2034.

MMA is already widely used in cold-weather states and has been specified in Alaska specifically because of its ability to hold up against studded tires and aggressive snowplowing — conditions familiar to anyone who has driven Broadway in February.

Why It Matters for Saranac Lake

Broadway is the commercial heart of Saranac Lake. High pedestrian and vehicle traffic, winter snowplow operations, and road salt combine to wear pavement markings faster than in lower-traffic areas. Crosswalk visibility is a direct safety issue, particularly in a downtown where pedestrian and vehicle traffic intersect frequently.

MMA’s higher upfront cost compared to standard paint is typically offset by reduced frequency of repainting. For a municipality managing infrastructure on a constrained budget, longer intervals between applications mean fewer contracts, fewer work zone closures, and lower long-term maintenance costs.

What Comes Next

The Village described the Broadway application as a test and evaluation, not a full commitment. The DPW will observe how the marking holds up through normal use and winter conditions before deciding whether to expand MMA use to other crosswalks and pavement markings in the Village.

No cost figures or timeline for a broader rollout have been released.