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This appears to be damage caused by water standing on asphalt for long periods rather than heat damage. Heat usually causes asphalt to push up into ridges rather than to crack. The bed under the road could also be slumping toward the open ditch.

I don't think he meant the damage is caused by heat. Rather, there are perhaps some very large cracks in the earth under the road, causing it to separate like that. The cracks themselves being caused by the earth shrinking from the drought.

Love pavement photos - its what I do. Clay has a natural affinity for water and its shape and size is dictated by the attached water molecule. When clays are allowed to dry out, as would be the case with the extreme drought in Texas, the space between clay particles can shrink. When this happens something is going to move - hence the shrinkage induced cracks in the roadway. Bentonite is one of the worst clays for this phenomenon as it has an extremely high affinity for water (large electron potential), and is often found in a non-floculated structure which is sensitive to shink and swell.

I just love this site and the people on it. The insights are educated and positive. I wish the rest of the internet was this way.

Large cracks in blacktop are common, when the substrate is predominantly clay and there is a prolonged drought.

You can see evidence of this in the land in North Texas (and on some of my land here in Central Texas). Very large cracks form, large enough to be dangerous to cattle (and people if you're walking along and don't notice it in time) - and they are deep, sometimes a few feet deep.

They close back up when the rains come, but it takes a while for the clay to absorb enough water to swell back together.

I noticed that last weekend, we rode around the Monument and Battleship Texas in Deer Park, and all the roads had large sagging cracks.

I read earlier today that there are some streets in Houston that they will not drive Fire Trucks on, because of the sagging and leaning.

I lived in Deer park for 7 years, moved back to MS when I retired at the first of this year.

Interesting. I didn't know that that would happen, but it makes sense with a clay foundation. -kevin :)

I have lived in this part of Texas 72 years and this is the worst i have ever seen. I saw ground cracks 4" wide back in the 70's but nothing as bad as this. Live in West Houston now and drive in to work on Richmond Ave. There are some real nice places that make you feel like riding a roller coaster if anyone can remember those things.

I also experienced the 50's drought; was living in South Texas and was there when it finally broke. Terrible conditions. Killed a lot of the citrus groves.

You live and you learn. Thank you to Wunderground and all the people who know so much and can explain it so I can understand.
I hope this drought ends soon, a 7 year drought sounds awful.