This post was provided by News Now Warsaw
Editor’s note: This story will be updated with more details soon.
By Dan Spalding
News Now Warsaw
SYRACUSE — Excessive heat has damaged numerous roads across northern Indiana, including part of SR 13 south of Syracuse, where a chip and seal project had been underway.
The Indiana Department of Transportation, which is in charge of the maintenance work, closed part of the highway Monday afternoon as the high temperature rose to 92 degrees and destroyed some of the road.
The closing encompasses about a one-mile stretch from Bayview Drive south to an area near CR 650E.
Heat caused small stones applied in the chip and seal work to sink into the road and warmed-up oil rose to the surface.
The circumstances were creating slick and dangerous conditions for vehicles, said Syracuse Town Manager David Wilkinson.
“I live out that way, and so I was watching the road fall apart over the weekend, and I was like, ‘This is not good.’ ”
“It’s a mess,” he said.
“What they told me is they’re going to have to mill the road down and start over, Wilkinson said. “They’re trying to get things in place as fast as they can.”
Local traffic will be allowed to travel on the road, but motorists are urged to use alternate routes if possible.
Anyone wanting to file a claim or have a concern is urged to contact INDOT at 1-855-463-6848.
Wilkinson said the closure could continue for several weeks.
“I’ve been doing government for 30 years, and I have never run into this. I’m sure IDNOT has, but I personally have not seen a road fall apart as rapidly as that one did,” he said. “Like I said, it was in the middle of being worked on when the heat hit.”
He said he heard that another road in Wabash was suffering some similar problems.
Also in Kosciusko County, CR 200S, east of Fox Farm Road, which recently underwent a chip-and-seal maintenance effort, was showing the effects of heat on Monday.
Kosciusko County Highway Superintendent Steve Moriarty confirmed it has been impacted a bit.
He called the warming process “tracking,” which refers to stones in the road are pushed further into the road.
He said he doesn’t think 200S has been significantly damaged, but added that they planned to apply a thin layer of limestone on the section of road today, “Just to make sure it doesn’t track.”
Tuesday’s high is expected to reach 92, but rain is in the forecast for tonight and Wednesday.
Rainfall tonight and Wednesday should improve conditions, he said.
“The rain actually will help those situations … it helps cool and emulsify that oil even further,” Moriarty said.
He said he’s seen heat impact freshly applied chip and seal projects over the years.
“Chip and seal is a practice that’s been done for a long time and it’s a good way to preserve our roads,” Moriarty said.
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