The Ministry of Transportation is set to move forward this summer with a more permanent repair of a section of Highway 3 in Tecumseh prone to buckling under extreme heat.
A section of the highway west of Manning Road split and buckled on Monday afternoon, prompting a temporary road closure for emergency repairs.
In an email to CTV Windsor, ministry spokesperson Liane Fisher Bloxam says a ministry investigation determined the need to repair, clean and reseal joints of the problem concrete. There will also be “selective concrete panel repairs” as part of the project.
The repeated buckling, stretching to last year, has concerned affected communities, including the County of Essex.
“Now, it's a question not if it's going to happen again, it's when it's going to happen again,” said Gary McNamara, warden for the County of Essex.
The highway cracked and heaved upwards several times under scorching temperatures last year which prompted emergency repairs.
“It just seems (the buckling is in) that area there,” said McNamara. “You know, MTO should be able to figure out the deficiencies.”
The ministry conducted field investigations beginning last year, which included coring through the pavement joints, laboratory testing of soil samples and a ground penetrating radar survey to assess concrete thickness and granular depth.
“Concrete pavements are constructed with joints filled with a rubberized sealant to allow the concrete to expand. Occasionally, under extremely high temperatures and humidity the expansion can be greater than that provided by the joints and the resulting force may cause the concrete to buckle,” said Fisher Bloxam, in a statement. “Buckling may also be exacerbated by sand or debris in the joint.”
The ministry says it works with its contractors to monitor and repair affected joints and pavement as quickly as possible.
