City road crews struggle with the intense heat

With nearly unbearable temperatures outside, it really makes you appreciate the air conditioning indoors. However, for some road work crews, working 8 hours underneath the hot sun is their reality. With the blazing sun beating down on their backs and the heat rising up through their shoes on the pavement, city crews know how vital it is to start hydrating early.

"It's important to start before you get to work. We start with water first and then we get to work and continue throughout the day,” says Jeff Rahilly.

Rahilly and his team are out in north Tulsa working to repair concrete in a neighborhood.

"As a crew and as a team we've got to share the workload and if you see somebody getting a little expended, it's time to tap them on the shoulder and get them in the shade or the air conditioned truck,” he says.

At the end of the day, his body feels the stress from the heat.

“It takes a wear and tear on it. Particularly when you're working with materials such as concrete and you're pouring it,” says Rahilly.

One of the other problems that city crews face is that when they are pouring wet concrete out on the road, the calcium inside the concrete can actually draw the moisture out of their body."

Couple the lack of moisture with a 250 degree asphalt pours and it makes almost unbearable working conditions.


“Your heart goes out to them because when you're in the middle of this heat wave,
you know they have to continuously stop what they're doing,” says Tulsan Jesse Guardiola.

Guardiola wears a suit to work but he knows it’s nothing to what city road crews feel outdoors everyday.

“Anytime you have to layer up it makes it far worse and like you said just the heat bouncing off the concrete is just unbearable,” he says.

Despite having to take more water breaks, crews know they’re still expected to finish the job on time. The crew FOX23 spoke with is starting a little earlier in the day and wrapping up earlier.

So far, we’re told the heat hasn’t slowed them down, but if it continues like this in the next few months, it could.