Drivers will encounter uneven pavement and rough road conditions for several weeks after a combination of heat and construction work damaged a section of Route 45 in Pine Grove Mills, according to PennDOT.
The damage occurred Monday starting in the area of Ferguson Township Elementary School and continuing eastbound for about a mile during a shoulder widening operation for the ongoing Pine Grove Mills bicycle and pedestrian improvements project.
PennDOT “is urging drivers to slow down and exercise caution through this portion of Route 45,” the department wrote in a news release on Wednesday.
The damage resulted from an asphalt bleed, which occurs when hot weather causes asphalt binder to soften and rise to the surface. Heavy equipment being used in the shoulder widening the picked up aggregate because of the bleed, causing the road damage, according to PennDOT.
“PennDOT is reviewing all the factors to determine a permanent repair solution,” the department wrote. “It will issue an update describing how that solution will impact traffic before starting the work.”
