SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — State transportation officials hope a new surface treatment will help reduce mishaps on a crash-prone section of Interstate 229 in eastern Sioux Falls.

Transportation Department Engineer Travis Dressen says the "high-friction" surface coating is designed to give vehicles more traction on a curve where drivers often run off the road or hit guardrails, especially during the winter when the road gets slick.

The area being treated had about 60 crashes in a five-year span ending in 2012.

It will be the first time that the special coating will be applied to a South Dakota roadway. The $423,000 project is scheduled to start Wednesday and be completed by Aug. 23.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

More From KXRB