Heat causes road buckling in Sussex County

The intense heat wave has caused several roads to buckle, with the Delaware Department of Transportation addressing the issues as they occur.

Road buckling has been happening in numerous places throughout the country this week during the intense heat wave as a result of pavement materials expanding in the heat.

There were five instances of road buckling on Route 113 in Sussex County June 24, one on Route 1 near Milford and another June 25 near Five Points in Lewes.

In these instances, DelDOT crews use grinding equipment to level off the areas that have buckled to remove the immediate hazard. The department will schedule more permanent repairs at a later date. With another day of temperatures in the upper 90s forecast June 25, buckling could continue to be an issue. Drivers are advised to be alert and slow down for crews working to address these issues. 

Anyone encountering a road buckling issue can contact DelDOT’s Transportation Management Center by calling #77 when it is safe to do so.