Buckled pavement tests MnDOT's skeleton crew

Concrete buckled Friday as humidity intensified and temperatures rose above 100.

Minnesota Department of Transportation spokesman Kevin Gutneckt said those conditions can cause some road materials to buckle, forming a road hazard for drivers.

There were seven metro areas with buckled pavement yesterday and one in St Cloud.

The pavement problems were the first test of the Minnesota Department of Transportation's reduced crew that are still working during the government shutdown.

Gutneckt says about 235 MNDot employees are considered essential, about 5 percent of the department's total workforce.

"The minimal maintenence crew that we have on were just supermen and women because they took care of all of them," saud Gutneckt.

MnDOT was also working to clean up the tree damage from Friday's storms.

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