Two blowouts cause partial closure of Route 2 between Oregon and Byron on Tuesday

OREGON – Two pavement blowouts caused a portion of Illinois Route 2 to be closed between Oregon and Byron early Tuesday evening.

Illinois Department of Transportation crews were busy patching the blowouts - one just north of the Silver Ridge Golf Course north of Oregon and the other south of Byron, near Town Line Road.

Traffic was directed from Route 2 to Mud Creek Road after both lanes of the state highway buckled. IDOT crews were busy cutting into the concrete and patching the roadway at that location around 8 p.m.

A few miles to the north, another blowout was located just north of the intersection with Town Line Road, south of Byron. An IDOT truck was positioned there to prevent motorists from diving over the buckled pavement.

Pavement failures or blowouts occur when prolonged high temperatures cause the road to expand and buckle up or blow out, resulting in uneven driving surfaces. Precipitation and humidity increase the potential for buckling.

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An Illinois Department of Transportation truck blocks traffic from a pavement blowout on Illinois Route 2 at Townline Road, south of Byron, Tuesday evening, July 1, 2025. The state highway was closed between Oregon and Byron as crews patched the roadway. There was another blowout south of this one, just north of Silver Ridge Golf Course. (Earleen Hinton)