Pavement company makes quick fix after crash damages roadway
Jun 30, 2023, 10:17 PM | Updated: 10:51 pm
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — Some people hoping for a swift getaway for the holiday weekend were instead met with a delay.
An accident near the intersection of state Route 201 and Interstate 215 on Friday afternoon had traffic backed up for several miles. However, thanks to some quick work from a local company, the traffic disruption didn’t last as long as it could have.
“I think it had only been an hour and I go there pretty quick,” Mark Gaddy said.
Gaddy works for Morgan Pavement, the same company involved in the accident that started the traffic delays.
“One of our drivers was coming down the exit, coming down and then a car cut in front of him, so he turned real hard,” Gaddy said.
When the driver made that sharp turn, the trailer carrying heavy equipment overturned, leaving a significant 20-foot-wide and six-inch-deep gouge in the pavement.
Morgan Pavement quickly sprang into action. It had a load of asphalt mix nearby from another ongoing project.
“It was already hot on the truck,” Gaddy said.
Using their own product, the company wasted no time in repairing the damage.
“Now the freeway won’t have to be shut down overnight,” Gaddy said.
The Utah Department of Transportation said the damage would have meant a closure because asphalt plants are already closed for the weekend. However, Morgan Pavement’s immediate actions helped keep closures to a minimum.
It allowed holiday traffic to keep moving, with the road being fully opened by early evening.
The fix is temporary, though.
UDOT will need to initiate an official job announcement to solicit bids from contractors for a permanent solution that will involve grinding the pavement, leveling the surface, and applying a more suitable layer.
