Kansas Road Pop
July 13, 2004

Sweltering Heat Causes Street to Rise 5 Inches, Crack, and Blow Up

After seeing a large crack in the street, crews originally suspected a possible gas leak, but with a little investigation, they soon learned it was something else. The fire department, police and the gas company and even the city’s public works department were all called to Cardinal and Benjamin late in the afternoon, residents alarmed when they suddenly witnessed the ground rise and crack. Some of the curbing blew up and the street raised four to five inches, says Rob Hughes with the Wichita Fire Department. Experts say the crack is unusual, because the heat-related breaks typically occur in concrete, as opposed to asphalt. Because the damage is so extensive, part of the road has been closed