SPOKANE, Wash. — After several days of prolonged heat, bursting concrete panels became a side effect of the high temperatures.
There have been three panels that burst during the week of July 8, including one along U.S. 195 just south of the Horn School rest area.
Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) says that a designated crew was assigned to monitor the roads with a heat gun to keep track of road temperatures in case they needed to respond to more problems on the roads.
“195 is kind of that spot we watch continuously for those concrete panels that do happen to burst more often because it is an older section of concrete and due to it resurfaced so many times, it’s starting to get a bit thinner,” said WSDOT Communications Manager Ryan Overton.
WSDOT officials also report that certain working guidelines are set in place for crews working in extreme heat. These guidelines include:
- When temperatures meet or exceed 90 degrees, paid 10 minute breaks are required every two hours.
- If the temperature exceeds 100 degrees, that break must be 15 minutes every hour.
- Sites must provide at least a quart of cool water every hour for each employee to drink
- Efficient shade or a running vehicle with air conditioning must be provided
Although temperatures will dip below the triple digits starting Thursday, construction crews will be out in the early morning or later in the evenings to avoid dangerous heat.
WSDOT reminds people to give crews plenty of space as they work on the roads.
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