Heat causes Interstate 15 buckling, damages multiple vehicles in Davis County
Jul 14, 2024, 4:59 PM | Updated: 5:36 pm
FARMINGTON — Excessive heat over the weekend caused road damage on Interstate 15 in Davis County, leading to multiple vehicles being damaged due to buckling pavement and large chunks of concrete.
The Utah Department of Transportation confirmed that at least half a dozen vehicles were damaged.
Lisa Anderson was driving northbound on I-15 when she suddenly heard a loud noise.
“It was kind of a loud explosion, and my steering wheel started to shiver and shimmy, so I pulled over really quickly,” Anderson said.
Her husband, Bryan Anderson, arrived at the scene shortly after receiving a call from Lisa Anderson. “I saw the right front tire was just obliterated,” Bryan Anderson said.
Excessive heat over the weekend caused road damage on Interstate 15 in Davis County, leading to multiple vehicles being damaged due to buckling pavement and large chunks of concrete. (KSL TV)
Large chunks of concrete
The Andersons discovered that their car had hit a large pothole. And when they looked even closer they saw large chunks of concrete scattered on the freeway, which were nearly camouflaged against the road surface. The extreme heat had caused the road to buckle.
“I’ve never seen anything like that. There were gaps in the road larger than anything I’ve ever seen in a pothole. The potholes looked like 2 to 3 feet wide in diameter.” Bryan Anderson said. “It was a pretty remarkable scene to see.”
The Andersons were not alone. They saw several other vehicles pull over with similar damage. Later, at a nearby tire center, they encountered more drivers who had either hit chunks of concrete or driven into the potholes in the same area.
“There was one car where the potholes were so large that their rims went into the pothole and damaged the rims of their cars,” Bryan Anderson said.
No one was hurt
Despite the damage to their car, the Andersons are grateful that no one was injured.
“I can’t imagine the size of those chunks getting kicked up into the air. If one of those chunks went through someone’s windshield,” Bryan Anderson said.
Road buckling is not common, but does occur about a dozen times each summer. UDOT advises that if you see road buckling, you should call 911 immediately. Crews will respond quickly to repair the damage.
The affected section of I-15 has been repaired and is safe for drivers.
When it comes to instances like road buckling it is typically considered an act of nature which would not be covered by UDOT because it is not a result of neglect. Drivers can file insurance claims which will be looked at by a case by case basis on UDOT’s website.
