Route 288 blowouts

Trooper J. R. Wright (above) was one of several officers called out last Thursday to block three locations on the southbound lanes where Route 288 suffered unexpected "pavement blowouts." VDOT launched emergency repairs using a material which hardened in 20 minutes, said Dale Totten, resident engineer at VDOT's Chesterfield office. (Photo on right, just north of Rt 10.) There were similar problems last summer, Totten said, noting that the original part of Route 288 was poured with seamless concrete. The pavement failure may have been due in part to the hot weather.