CHARLESTON (AP) -- South Carolina transportation officials say a contractor will pay to repair a stretch of Interstate 526 near Charleston where the asphalt is falling apart because of a problem when the highway was resurfaced last year.
The Transportation Department says a five-mile stretch of a westbound lane of I-526 near Interstate 26 is crumbling, causing small chunks of asphalt to fly up, cracking windshields and nicking paint.
Officials say the problem happened when an electrical short in some equipment caused the asphalt poured on the road to be mixed improperly one night last September.
The contractor is filling holes and patching pavement for now and will resurface the road in a few months when temperatures get above 60 degrees.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
APNP 01-29-10 1233EST
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