Excessive heat causes trouble on I-85

The searing heat was the culprit yesterday for for problems with a pair of Interstate-85 bridges in Oconee County. Crews from the South Carolina DOT Maintenance Shop at Richland were sent yesterday to start emergency repairs on the northbound side of 85 to the bridges crossing Fair Play Creek. A state contractor is in the process of replacing bridge joints and, according to Resident Maintenance Engineer Mike Smith, excessive heat did not allow the materials to cure, causing them to become tacky and to pull out of the joints. The repair work was expected to take several hours.