Very high temperatures not only affect people and animals. Roads are also subject to heat stress. The responsible office is faced with challenges.
Erfurt (dpa/th) - The great heat of the past few weeks has put a lot of strain on older state roads in particular. Roads that have not been renovated or whose asphalt layers have not been renewed in the past 10 to 15 years are particularly affected, as the Thuringian State Office for Construction and Transport, which is responsible for federal and state roads, told the German Press Agency. A quick, permanently effective repair is not possible in these situations.
As an example, the authorities cited Landesstrasse 1057 in the Weimarer Land. In the Niederroßla - Wersdorf section, the bitumen of the asphalt, which had become liquid due to the high temperatures, escaped. Therefore, a speed limit was ordered there and additional splits were spread. The split binds the bitumen and prevents it from sticking to the car tires and destroying the road.
According to the information, there were problems with the asphalt on the L 2055 between Buhla and Haynrode in Eichsfeld, which is why a blockage and a detour via Ascherode and Breitenworbis were set up. Heat damage was also registered in the Wartburg district. The L 1120 could therefore not be driven on near the through road in Hämbach, and the section was initially closed. A temporary closure was also necessary on the L 2895 near Gräfen-Nitzendorf.
Anyone who sees the sweating construction crews doing repair work on the roadways involuntarily wonders whether their deployment at temperatures of well over 30 degrees Celsius in some cases can be justified at all. "If heat-related damage is found, the TLBV is obliged to react and take appropriate measures," says the state office itself. Otherwise, road users could be injured. "The question of whether construction crews should be sent out or not therefore does not arise, especially since the applicable statutory occupational safety conditions are always observed."
