Extreme heat causing pavement blow-ups

Monday, Missouri Department of Transportation road crews fixed a pavement blow-up, or road buckle, on Highway 63 just north of Jefferson City.

Pavement blow-ups happen when temperatures are hot and humidity is high. The pavement expands when water seeps into the concrete and the road is heated up. If there is a crack or joint in the pavement and no room for it to expand, the two pieces will push against each other and pop up.

Severe ones can even blow out tires.

MoDOT makes a point to fix these blow-ups before they can cause any damage to vehicles. MoDOT Engineer Mike Schupp says they may patch over it with asphalt until the concrete can be stripped out and repaired at night when there is less traffic, or they many close down one lane until it can be properly fixed.

Usually, pavement blow-ups start happening in July, but because of the cooler temperatures last month, they have only begun to pop up recently.

If you see any pavement blow-ups, MoDOT asks that you call their 888-ASK-MODOT number and report it so they can fix it and keep the road safe for all drivers.