Heat could be causing 'explosions' on Stoddard County roads

DEXTER, Mo. -- The sudden surge in temperatures accompanied by rainfall in the past few weeks have kept Missouri Department of Transportation employees busy repairing "blow-ups" on Stoddard County highways.

Jeff Jarrell, maintenance supervisor in the Dexter MoDOT office, said there have been 26 incidents in the past few days of highway concrete joints expanding and rupturing. One left a 12-inch fissure in the highway, he said.

Sgt. Dale Moreland of the Missouri State Highway Patrol said the patrol worked six incidents from 3 to 8 p.m. Sunday. Three were on U.S. 60 west of Dexter in Stoddard County. Three more were on Highway 25 stretching from just south of Dexter to north of Bloomfield.

Jarrell said rainwater that had built up under the roadways had not had enough time to drain away before the high temperatures hit the area. He said that hot-mix or asphalt roads are not as susceptible to blow-ups.

MoDOT district maintenance engineer Mike Helpingstine said concrete expands and contracts at the seams, leading to a "rapid rising." He said he has seen the concrete rise as high as 18 to 20 inches in certain conditions but that the problem is less common than it was in the past.

MoDOT workers respond to a damage report as soon as they receive notification, according to Jarrell. He said crews use jackhammers to remove the damaged concrete and then a backhoe is used to clean out the resulting trench. Asphalt is then poured into the trench as a temporary fix.

On Sunday, MoDOT workers were called to three locations on U.S. 60 and six locations on Highway 25. All three of the locations on U.S. 60 were west of Dexter. Jarrell said each incident affected all four lanes of traffic on the highway. The problems on Highway 25 were near the Route AF intersection south of Dexter, two more near the railroad overpass inside the city and two north of Bloomfield.

There have not been any reports of accidents or major damage to vehicles from the problem.

Moreland urged drivers to use caution while driving on county highways during the current hot weather. Motorists are urged to watch for law enforcement traffic control and report damage to roadways to the highway patrol headquarters at 573-840-9500.