VDOT takes road samples to study Rt. 288 buckling

It will be 6-8 weeks before the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) knows why Route 288 buckled during the heat of the day in late June. VDOT has sent "full depth [eight-inch] concrete samplings" to state and federal labs for analysis. The study is only for the road material and not the soil. Route 288 buckled in one of the southbound lanes just north of Route 10 and also south of Route 360. Last week, VDOT was also performing routine maintenance on Route 288 near Route 10, not related to the buckling problem. Route 288 from I-95 to the Powhite Parkway was built in 1989. "Considering its age, Route 288 has been very serviceable," said VDOT Spokesperson Tom Jewell. On the same day in June, the Powhite Parkway also buckled in a northbound lane south of Midlothian Turnpike. VDOT is not analyzing the road there.