LTU repairing part of major Lincoln street that buckled in the heat

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — The Lincoln Transportation and Utilities Department is fixing a road that buckled from the scorching heat this past weekend.

A lane of 56th Street near London Road, just south of Old Cheney Road, is now closed.

Extreme temperatures caused the pavement to lift.

“We did have a stretch of very high temperatures, 100 degrees or more,” LTU spokeswoman Erika Hill said Monday. “Sometimes when that happens, we do have infrastructure that will need to expand when those high temperatures occur.”

Crews with LTU said they responded quickly, blocking off the damaged section and beginning repairs.

LTU said that kind of damage is a concern during this time of the year, and that’s why it prepares.

“Every single year, we do plan for potential cracks in the street due to high temperatures occurring,” Hill said.

Crews will start to patch up the road on Thursday.

“We do plan to cut out a little section of pavement and then totally replace that,” she said. “And once that concrete is dry, we’ll take out that lane closure, and everyone will be smooth sailing.”

And though the closure may cause an inconvenience, Hill said LTU’s main mission is to keep roads safe for Lincolnites.

“The safety of the traveling public is one of our top priorities,” she said. “Our job is to continue to maintain those streets and then make sure that they are drivable and beautiful for everyone.”