Drivers dodge chunks of concrete on Route 90 in Winnipeg
Heat leads to temporary traffic disruption
Chunks of concrete created a hazard for drivers on southbound Route 90 near Inkster Boulevard, where parts of the road were heaving on Monday morning.
The eastbound yield lane closed while crews tried to fix the problem along the busy stretch of Winnipeg road.
The heaving was caused by hot weather and city crews are now placing an asphalt patch over the area until a permanent repair can be made, a city spokesperson said.
"It is not surprising," said Ahmed Shalaby, a pavement engineering professor at the University of Manitoba.
Shalaby said during heat waves, joints underneath roads need to expand and contract, which can cause concrete slabs to become crushed bringing chunks of the road up.
'Has to relieve the stress'
"The road has to relieve the stress somehow," he said.
Drivers may hear a loud bang when heaving happens or notice chunks of the road coming up, but more often than not, there will be no warning signs, Shalaby said.
The stretch of Route 90 isn't the only spot in Winnipeg that's being repaired from heaving.
The city said repairs are being scheduled for Dennis Lindsay Road at Perfanick Drive and on westbound Waverley Street, east of Kenaston Boulevard.
Lanes were no longer closed on Route 90 by Monday afternoon, the city spokesperson said.
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