Rainstorm washes away new lane stripes on 503

State highway crews got a big surprise Wednesday when the fresh lane lines they sprayed on state Highway 503 near Amboy washed away during a rainstorm.

The State Department of Transportation crew was replacing damaged striping on Highway 503 between Lewisville Park and Amboy when the first drops fell. They stopped working and turned back for the Vancouver maintenance office. That's when they noticed the paint streaks running on the highway.

When work began, humidity was low and temperatures were warm enough for the paint to adhere and dry in less than two minutes. The state highway department is testing the paint to determine why it did not dry properly. There was no environmental damage from paint run-off.