Repairs were still underway at press time Tuesday to repair an eastbound stretch of road at mile marker 229 on Interstate 70 in Ellsworth County, which buckled Monday afternoon.

According to Ashley Perez, spokesperson for the Kansas Department of Transportation, KDOT was notified about 3 p.m. Monday and work crews were immediately dispatched.

Perez was told by Ellsworth KDOT Supervisor Tim Hays that the buckling was caused by a combination of moisture and heat. He said buckling occurs two to three times a year in this area. Crews remained on the scene until 8 p.m. Monday and returned Tuesday morning to continue repairs.

“That’s something we try to get repaired as quickly as possible,” Perez said.

She said traffic was safely routed around the repair area, and at no time was traffic on I-70 shut down.