Buckle up: Extreme heat hits sidewalks

A three-day heat wave brought historically hot temperatures to Waterloo Region, and the conditions were so brutal, sidewalks buckled in the tri-cities.

“Concrete undergoes thermal expansion and contraction as the temperature changes,” reads a statement from the City of Waterloo. “With the recent extreme heat, some sidewalk panels have pushed against each other, forcing the panels to crack upwards or buckle.”

The phenomenon was reported in several areas in Waterloo, including on University Avenue and Erb Street West. The city said staff will remove the impacted panels on Friday, and replacements are expected to be done by next week.

The City of Kitchener said it received five calls about buckling sidewalks.

“When we see a sidewalk heave, we make the area safe through visual markings like cones or paint and will monitor the area,” it said in an email to CityNews. “Replacement occurs as necessary.”

One of the areas is already back to normal, as the sidewalk lowered when cooler weather moved in and the temperature dropped.

In Cambridge, sidewalks buckled in two areas in west Galt and Preston. The city said, “Fortunately, in Cambridge, this has been rare. However, it’s always a possibility when there are very high temperatures and long periods of sun.”

According to Environment Canada, the recent extreme heat broke weather records from 1923.