UDOT says buckled roads are normal during the summertime
Jul 11, 2023, 1:00 PM | Updated: Jul 19, 2023, 3:05 pm
(Jeffrey D. Allred/Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY — Summer heat is starting to affect Utah’s roads, already causing part of a highway in Davis County to buckle. The Utah Department of Transportation said that buckling is normal, and it might happen again this summer.
UDOT crews spent about five hours Monday repairing a portion of US-89 after days of high temperatures and lack of overnight cooling caused the road to buckle.
UDOT spokesperson John Gleason said it’s not unusual for this time of year.
“When you have an extended period of time where the temperatures are really high and especially if it’s not cooling down that much overnight, then that’s when you’ll see the road damage that we’ve seen here.”
Gleason said the roads have expansion joints to accommodate the weather, but they aren’t always 100% effective.
According to Gleason, when debris gets into the expansion joints, it keeps the panels from expanding and forces them into themselves.
It’s possible to see damage like this again this summer, especially if we keep having hot days as we have been, Gleason said.
He said if roads are starting to buckle, it should be reported as soon as possible so UDOT crews can start a repair.
“It’s really hard to tell where that’s happening or where these buckling issues are going to present themselves.”