I-380 lane near Swisher reopens after pavement buckles

UPDATE: Sizzling temperatures buckled pavement on Interstate 380 near Swisher, leading to a traffic jam Tuesday morning.

Authorities said the pavement buckled around 8:30 p.m. Monday in the northbound lanes, about a mile south of the Swisher/Shueyville exit. The left lane was closed between mile markers 8 and 9, which caused bumper-to-bumper traffic for a few miles.

An e-mail alert from the Iowa DOT indicated all lanes were back open around 10:45 a.m. Tuesday.

Travis Nitcher, DOT highway maintenance supervisor for Johnson County, said the rupture made the pavement stick up about eight inches. Due to safety concerns, crews decided to wait until Tuesday morning to begin repairs.

“I watched people getting launched on it last night when they wouldn't get over while I was sitting there with my arrow stick on,” Nitcher said.

Nitcher said there are pavement “blowups” in four other spots around Johnson County, and he expects more, as the mercury rises. Temperatures are expected to reach the upper 90s through mid-week, with heat-indices near 110 degrees.

“The way the heat is this week, we might have a few more,” he said.

Crews will be repairing any pavement that buckles by closing lanes and using flag persons, Nitcher said. Drivers are asked to use caution in the areas affected. Other pavement “blowups” reported by the DOT:

• Highway 6 near Hawkins Drive
• Highway 6 east of Iowa City
• Highway 1 south of Frytown
• Highway 6 just west of Coralville (in median)