Athletes and fans making the drive to the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018 on the Yeongdong Expressway will be traveling on a newly striped and visibly marked road. Major sections of the expressway are being marked with a highly reflective, durable waterborne traffic paint powered by FASTRACK Technology from The Dow Chemical Company. 
 
FASTRACK Technology retains glass beads and retro-reflectance in road markings longer than solvent-borne traffic paint, helping lane markings appear clearer to drivers during the journey from Seoul to PyeongChang.
 
Developed by Dow to help facilitate the industry’s conversion from solvent-borne to water-borne traffic paint, FASTRACK Technology combines a durable acrylic backbone with Dow’s patented Quick-Set Technology, which helps accelerate the drying time of waterborne traffic paint, even under adverse weather conditions. This solution allows cars to get back on the road faster and offers resistance against wheel tracking and water washouts – resulting in a high level of protection for the road markings and the distribution of glass beads that are essential to nighttime retro-reflectivity.
 
“As the Official Chemistry Company of the Olympic Games, Dow offers science and technology options that deliver exceptional performance at the Olympic Games, as well as in surrounding communities,” said Phillip Oh, Asia-Pacific commercial director for Dow Olympic & Sports Solutions. “An excellent example of Dow innovation that enhances the safety and sustainability of sports and non-sports infrastructure, FASTRACK Resins help improve road marking visibility for drivers and passengers long after the Olympic Games.”
 
FASTRACK Resins in waterborne paint help dramatically reduce volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions. Formulations that use this innovative option contain eight to ten times less solvent than conventional traffic paints, and result in an up to 60 percent lower carbon footprint than other road-marking technologies.