Salzburg battles unprecedented heat damage to roads

Salzburg has recorded more heat-related road damage this year than ever before, ORF reports. The heat softens the asphalt, making it less able to withstand the weight and movement of vehicles.

A 15-member team of workers and technicians from the city administration is repairing deformed road surfaces and other damage. The situation is particularly severe in the Leopoldskron-Moos district.

On Moosstraße, the road surface has become extremely dry and hot and gives way under heavy loads. The asphalt breaks open, causing cracks and depressions. Herbert Seebauer, a technician at the city’s maintenance depot, said the cracks could endanger cyclists and cause pedestrians to trip.

The many trees along Moosstraße also create sharply differing temperature zones in the road surface, which can cause tension in the material. The city has spent about 10,000 euros on maintenance materials for Moosstraße since the end of July.

Heat has also damaged bus stops, including the one at Mirabellplatz. “The heat makes the material soft,” Seebauer said. “When buses pull away or brake, the asphalt shifts like dough. This creates waves and ruts.”

At Hanuschplatz, the city installed a different road surface several years ago. The concrete-and-asphalt composite is more rigid and can better absorb the forces generated by buses.

All damaged bus stops are due to be repaired in autumn, before another heatwave puts further strain on the asphalt next summer.