Heat causes sidewalk to buckle in west Columbia

Roads aren’t the only infrastructure at risk for buckling in extreme hot temperatures; your neighborhood sidewalks are as well.

Columbia Public Works spokesperson Barry Dalton said the first major sidewalk buckle of the summer happened at West Worley and Silvey Street near Smithton Middle School.

Some residents living in the Vintage Falls neighborhood said that particular area of sidewalk has been an issue.

“It’s just been a little bit of a hump for years, but with the hot weather it’s just two or three times higher than it used to be,” said Tom Bohannon, who has lived in the neighborhood for 12 years. “It’s a real trip hazard right now.”

Another sidewalk buckled near the McDonald’s on West Worley and Stadium.

“Sidewalks are more of a long-term problem,” he said. “Rarely does it cause an immediate danger.”

Dalton said public works is working to determine whether the sidewalk near the McDonalds is on city property or MoDOT property. For the sidewalk at Worley and Silvey, Dalton said maintenance technically lies with the property owner, but added Public Works will work with the home owner to make the necessary repairs.

“The roadways are really the ones that we’re the most concerned about,” he said. “Because cars are on the roadway and that can cause property damage and accidents.”

Last Tuesday, part of Bernadette Drive near Stadium Boulevard was shut down until Thursday for crews to repair a large pavement buckle.

Dalton advises residents to contact public works or MoDOT to report a sidewalk or road buckle this summer.