MnDOT: Watch out for buckling roads during extreme heat

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Photo credit Washington County Public Works

The Minnesota Department of Transportation is reminding drivers to watch out for buckling roads as we enter a heat advisory Sunday afternoon.

According to the Washington County Public Works office, Broadway Ave/County Highway 2 buckled at the approach to the I-35 freeway bridge. Crews are installing warning signs to slow people down over the hump.

When a road is constructed, it is cut into segments creating a space for expansion and contraction. Sometimes that space is not enough and when that happens the pavement buckles or blows up, particularly when the pavement is older and weaker. The warmer the temperature the more the pavement material expands. The sun heats the pavement, and the pavement expands and then buckles.

If  you come across a buckle, try not to drive over it. Instead, slow down and safely move into another lane.