OSHKOSH (NBC 26) — Hot weather is causing roadways throughout northeast Wisconsin to buckle, leading to lane closures in several areas.
- Take a look at a lane closure over the Lake Butte des Morts bridge on I-41 southbound
- Several reports of buckling roadways have closed highways across the region
- One Wisconsin State Patrol Sergeant says when temperatures climb, incidents like this crop up
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
Pavement is buckling because of high heat Monday and here in Oshkosh, it's shut down part of a highway. I'm Pari Apostolakos here to tell you where else these issues are happening.
The right lane was closed on I-41 southbound at mile marker 160, south of Sheuring Road in Brown County for a couple of hours early Monday evening. The lanes have since reopened.
All northbound lanes on US 151 at County Highway D are closed due to pavement buckling and in Oshkosh, the left lane on I-41 southbound on the Lake Butte de Morts bridge is closed for the same reason.
Wisconsin State Patrol Sgt. Andrew Jacobs says the problem started on Saturday when drivers called saying there was a bump in the roadway.
He says the same day, repairs were made on the bridge.
But, as engineers watched the Department of Transportation Cameras Monday, they noticed the buckle becoming worse in the high heat.
Around 6 p.m. the leftmost lane was closed again.
Crews are working now to repair the buckle. The lane is expected to be closed throughout the night.
Jacobs says around 4 a.m. there may be a full closure to repair a bigger part of the bridge. He says as the weather gets warmer, issues like this pop up in seemingly random places.
Jacobs says if I-41 southbound is fully closed, the detour will exit at Highway 45, go through the city of Oshkosh, and return to the I-41 after the bridge. In Oshkosh Pari Apostolakos NBC 26.
