MNDOT warns of pavement heaves due to heat

St. Cloud, Minn. (KNSI) – The Minnesota Department of Transportation is warning our short but intense hot weather could lead to pavement buckles.

Highs this week are expected to be into the 90s with heat index values into the triple digits. 

MNDOT says roads are constructed to allow for expansion and contraction, and the warmer the temperature, the more the materials expand. 

Experts say the sun heats the road surface, and in some cases, especially in older concrete or weaker roads, there isn’t enough space to accommodate expansion, so it buckles.

Road heaves are extremely dangerous and can act like a ramp, launching vehicles and causing them to go out of control and crash. If a driver comes across one, MNDOT says, you should slow down, and don’t drive over it. Instead, move to another lane and call 911 when it’s safe.

The sweltering weather also takes its toll on equipment too. 

Excess heat makes machinery work harder, and even the oils used to lubricate moving parts have a temperature threshold before they separate or break down.

Other plastic or rubber parts can become brittle or crack.

Story by Jennifer Lewerenz / KNSI