Heat-related highway buckling can damage vehicles, create dangerous driving conditions

In DeSoto Parish, a section of U.S. Highway 171 buckled under the intense heat, damaging seven vehicles and sending five people to the hospital on Friday. The next day, another buckle further south on the same highway closed it for hours.

According to Erin Buchanan with the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, roadway "blowups" occur when concrete pavement expands in extreme temperatures.

"You start experiencing what we commonly refer to as a roadway blowup," Buchanan said. "Usually concrete roadways at the joints, the panels expand in the extreme heat. When that occurs, they expand to a point where they have nowhere else to go. At the point where those panels meet, the roadway shoves up and buckles."

Buchanan said these roadway failures can happen quickly and without warning, making them difficult to predict.

"Whether it's on a weekend, holiday or at night, our crews know there's a potential for that to occur during the summertime months," she said. "We're ready to address those when they do occur."

DOTD encourages drivers who notice buckling on a state highway to report it through the department's statewide hotline or notify law enforcement so crews can respond as quickly as possible. The statewide number is (800) 259-4929 and the district 4 number is (318) 549-8300.

"If you cannot drive over it, try not to, and report it to either us or to law enforcement, and they'll get it to us," Buchanan said.

In many cases, highway crews will install a temporary patch to make the roadway safe before returning to complete permanent repairs.

Drivers whose vehicles are damaged by roadway buckling will likely need to file a claim with their auto insurance company. While it is possible to seek compensation from the state, claimants must prove DOTD had prior notice of the hazardous roadway condition and failed to address it. Those claims are handled through Louisiana's Office of Risk Management.

Under Louisiana law, damages awarded in claims against the state are capped at $500,000. Drivers considering filing a claim should review the requirements and procedures on the state's website before beginning the process.