High temperatures, road work cause damage to Route 45 in Pine Grove Mills
Motorists driving on a portion of state Route 45 in Ferguson Township should use extra caution for the next few weeks as there is uneven pavement and rough road conditions, the state department of transportation said Wednesday.
A portion of Route 45 suffered damage starting at Ferguson Township Elementary School, continuing for about a mile eastbound. The road was damaged during a shoulder widening operation, PennDOT said in a news release, as part of an ongoing bike and pedestrian improvement project.
“The damage was the result of asphalt bleed, also known as flushing, which occurs when the asphalt binder softens and rises to the surface during high temperatures. The heavy equipment then picked up aggregate (stone) because of the asphalt bleed,” PennDOT wrote in a release.
A permanent solution is still being developed as PennDOT reviews the factors and will provide an update on the solution prior to beginning work. Until then, PennDOT is advising motorists to slow down and use caution in the area.
Additionally, Route 45 is down to one lane westbound from Deepwood Drive until Ross Street for the Pine Grove Mills pedestrian/bike improvements. The project is expected to continue through mid-August and involves widening Route 45 in that area for bike lanes and extending the sidewalk on Water Street to Chestnut Street.
Late last month, PennDOT made emergency repairs after extreme heat damaged a lane of an Interstate 99 bridge spanning Buffalo Run Road.
