As temperatures rise, roadways may be affected…

…concrete pavement can break or buckle

DENVER– As temperatures rise and stay above 85 degrees, concrete pavement can either break or buckle. In the past two days, the Colorado Department of Transportation maintenance crews have had to conduct emergency repair work on CO 83 between Belleview and Stroh Road to clean-up broken concrete, gut the damaged section of roadway out and lay asphalt pavement as a temporary repair.

Currently, crews are conducting emergency repair work on CO 83 at East Valley Drive. This is necessary to protect motorists from loose concrete and prevent further damage to the roadway.

Each summer, CDOT is constantly on the lookout for loose or buckling concrete. CDOT asks motorists to report any signs of damaged roadway to its customer service representatives so they can alert crews immediately.

Concrete pavement is often more durable and can have a lifespan of up to 30 years. This is largely due to the fact that concrete is constantly moving allowing for heavy traffic without causing major damage. With extreme heat, however, the concrete starts to expand and the expansion joints meant to allow the concrete to move lock-up. If the concrete expands too much, it has no where to release the pressure and ultimately breaks or buckles.

Motorists are reminded that they can be penalized for failing to move over and/or slow down when approaching stopped emergency and maintenance vehicles.  The Move Over for Cody Act stipulates that failing to move over carries the possibility of 12 to 18 months in jail and a fine up to $5,000.  The new law is named for Colorado State Patrol Trooper Cody Donahue, who was killed in 2016 when a tractor-trailer driver drifted onto the shoulder and hit Donahue while he was outside his cruiser responding to another crash.  

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