Ada County Highway District crews are chip sealing roads across Meridian this summer, causing lane restrictions and slower speeds for drivers in several neighborhoods.This week, crews are working on Meridian Road between McMilla n and Ustick, and Pine between Eagle and Locust Grove. Drivers should plan ahead for lane restrictions and slower speeds, and watch for flaggers directing traffic.Justin Burge, a lead worker for ACHD, said the process is designed to extend the life of existing roads and save taxpayers money.WATCH what you need to know to navigate chip seal season. Drivers in Meridian experience delays during chip seal season"One of the big reasons is for during winter time it actually adds traction to the road, but it also preserves the road, so we don't have to come back in and completely tear the road out and repave the road. It saves a lot of money to the taxpayers," Burge explained.Burge said crews make every effort to keep traffic moving, but delays are still happening."We try to keep traffic flowing because we know everybody has to get somewhere, we know they got to get to work," Burge said.Still, some drivers have experienced significant waits. Burge said ACHD received a complaint Tuesday morning from a woman who said she was stopped for more than 20 minutes and was late getting her kids to school.RELATED | South Meridian neighbors say lack of sidewalks on Ten Mile Road is dangerous as growth brings more pedestriansI spoke with one woman at Settlers Park who said her Google Maps routed her directly through the roadwork before workers helped re-route her.Meridian neighbor Butch Weedon said drivers need to stay alert in the work zones."You just have to watch your speed that you don't throw a stone that's going to break someone else's windshield," Weedon said.Despite the inconvenience, Weedon said the short-term slowdowns are worth it."They're extending the life of the highway or the roads, so that pays off for us in the long run," Weedon told me.Troy Sweet, another Meridian driver who recently moved from California, said the delays do not bother him.RELATED | Meridian woman believed to be the first Idahoan to swim the English Channel"I don't mind it at all, and I find the Idaho drivers are much nicer than from where I came from," Sweet said.Signs are already posted for the next round of chip sealing, which will take place in the area of Pine Road between Eagle and Locust Grove.You can stay updated on ACHD projects and which roads they plan to work on by checking out the interactive map on the ACHD website.This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been, in part, converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy. ...read more read less