CASS COUNTY, Iowa - The eastbound lanes of I-80 were rerouted for a time Saturday afternoon after the pavement buckled in extreme heat.
The area is a few miles west of Adair, about an hour from Des Moines. A listener called WHO Radio News and reported seeing the pavement buckled across both eastbound lanes of the interstate.
There are also reports that several vehicles were damaged after they were driven over the ruptured road.
According to the Department of Transportation:
Pavement buckles can occur when the air temperature changes from moderate to extreme heat. When a road is constructed it is cut into segments creating a space for expansion and contraction.
Sometimes that space is not enough and when that happens the pavement buckles or blows up, particularly when the pavement is older and weaker.
The hotter the temperature the more the pavement material expands. The sun heats the pavement, and the pavement expands and then buckles.
Pavement buckles are considered a danger to drivers, who are encouraged to slow down and avoid driving over the damaged area of pavement. Buckles should be reported to 911.