High Temperatures Cause Roads To Buckle

WASHINGTON - From AAA Mid-Atlantic:

It’s not an urban legend. This weekend, it will not only be hot enough to fry an egg, it will also be boiling enough to buckle the bituminous concrete, better known as asphalt, on roadways. Don’t believe it? Well, it happened the other day in the Washington metro area, when a section of pavement buckled on Interstate 395 near Seminary Road in Alexandria, Virginia. The long, hot summer that has the nation in its white-hot vice-grips is causing roads to buckle and bulge, transportation officials around the country are also reporting.

You could see other roads buckle during this triple-digit weekend, warns AAA Mid-Atlantic. Road repair crews will be on call in Virginia in case it happens again, transportation officials say. Blame it on the extreme heat and the laws of physics. When all that hot moisture builds up under already weakened joints in roadways, the asphalt or pavement heats up more and expands.

“Other factors, such as the lack of routine maintenance in the wake of budget cuts, changes in temperatures, aging, and even the lack of rain can cause this to happen too,” commented John B. Townsend II, AAA Mid-Atlantic’s Manager of Public and Government Affairs. “During the summer months, asphalt and concrete absorb the heat all day long. The blacktop retains the heat until the summer sun sets and then it releases it slowly overnight. During the extreme heat, you suddenly have the right conditions to cause a roadway to crumble.”

In addition to Alexandria, it’s also happening in the heat of the day in Hannibal, Houston, Albany, Cape Girardeau, Duluth, Waukesha, and even along Lake Shore Drive in Chicago, the Associated Press and other media outlets are reporting. The United States boasts over 100,000 square miles of black asphalt pavement. And every square inch of it seems super-heated.

Traffic engineers say recent hot weather contributed to the buckling of the roadway's surface. The problem is more prone to occur on highways in urban areas. Thanks to the “Urban heat island effect,” blacktop tends to stay hot and it could continue to generate energy after the sun goes down. The air in urban areas can be 6-8 degrees Fahrenheit hotter than in surrounding areas, creating hot spots. It’s a vicious cycle that can buckle roads, says AAA Mid-Atlantic.

“While not quite as hot as Hades, the temperature on pavement and on the asphalt on roadways and parking lots can soar to as high as 150 degrees Fahrenheit (66 degrees Celsius) during the summer time,” said Townsend. “Sidewalk temperatures reportedly can reach 180 degrees.”

How hot is it? “An egg needs a temperature of 158°F to become firm,” so says the U. S. Library of Congress. “And a hot sidewalk might only get up to 145°F,” depending upon the material and its place in the sun. But because dark objects tend to absorb more light, “blacktop would be hotter than concrete,” researchers add.

If you encounter a buckled section of highway or roadway, slow down, proceed carefully and call your local highway department to inform them of the problem, advises AAA Mid-Atlantic. The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) and AAA Mid-Atlantic remind “drivers—especially motorcyclists— to be on the lookout for problem spots while crews make emergency repairs.”

Northern Virginia crews will be on “special alert for emergency repairs this weekend as temperatures are expected to reach in excess of 100 degrees,” warns Joan Morris, a spokesperson for VDOT in Northern Virginia. “Drivers are asked to be prepared for lane closures if crews need to mill and repave the road surface.”

Motorists in northern Virginia can report potholes, buckling pavement and other road problems through VDOT’s online request form or by calling 703-383-VDOT. Those in Maryland can direct their concerns to the Statewide Operations Center via internet or by calling 410-582-5650. As outside temperatures rise to the boiling point in Washington, D. C., motorists can call the Mayor’s Citywide Call Center at 311 or file a report online.

Just as seeping water or snow, melting and expanding ice, and the saturating properties of road salt can cause potholes to form during the freeze-thaw cycles in February and March, the extreme heat can put intense pressure on road surfaces, causing the surface level to crack and collapse, says AAA Mid-Atlantic.

AAA Mid-Atlantic advocates on behalf of its nearly four million members in the District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia, Delaware, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. It provides a wide range of personal insurance, travel, financial and automotive services through its 50-plus retail branches, regional operations centers, and the Internet. For more information, please visit our web site at www.AAA.com .

From District Department of Transportation:

As the Washington, D.C. region continues to battle the heat, drivers should be prepared in case of breakdowns or traffic delays. There are a number of recommended precautions and preparations drivers