Number of potholes on Highway 101 continues to increase due to recent winter weather
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. -- A drive on Highway 101 through the Central Coast is feeling a little rougher than usual nowadays.
“it's horrible!" said Anthony Dennis, while filling up at a Santa Maria gas station. "It's bumpy and potholes and I'm on a motorcycle, so to come onto the 101, it's hectic.”
Road conditions have deteriorated so bad in certain places, some drivers are worried about their safety
“Especially when you get going at such a good speed, you know, it can get dangerous at times," said Kaleb Mack of Santa Maria. "it can get wet since it's been raining a lot here.”
Recent winter has taken a big toll and a chunk of out many roadways, not just on the Central Coast, but also around California
“Throughout the state, we've seen more and more potholes due to the wet weather," said Caltrans public information officer Alexa Bertola. "We've had everything from snow to ice and a lot of rain hit our roadways, so we are seeing potholes pop up."
Some stretches of Highway 101 have been hit especially hard, including the northbound lane between Santa Maria and Nipomo. The southbound lane in Santa Maria, between Betteravia Road and Santa Maria Way is an area where several large and deep potholes have formed.
Bertola stressed Caltrans is aware of the increasing number of potholes on their roadways and is making a concerted effort to address the issue.
“Repairs are certainly a top priority for us here at Caltrans," Bertola said. "We're addressing these pothole repairs as quickly as possible.”
Caltrans has been able to patch up a small portion of the 101 on the Central Coast this week. Crews were able to fill in a number of potholes during an emergency repair project on the southbound far right lane on the Cuesta Grade.
“Yesterday, we used roughly 1,000 pounds of pothole mix and then today we're expected to use roughly 2,500 pounds," said Bertola, who later reported the amount of mix used on Wednesday was 1,300 pounds.
With some of the Cuesta Grade now riding a little smoother, drivers are hoping other areas are repaired as well.
“As long as they're fixing them and they're out there doing it and making everybody safe and everybody's car okay, that's nice," said Dennis.
Repairs in other places will come, but not all at once.
Bertola said pothole repairs will be an ongoing project. Work to fix the roadways in the Caltrans jurisdiction is expected to happen in the days, weeks and even months ahead.
“it's cool," said Mack. "You've just got to stay aware and what's in front of you. If they say they're going to do it, it's just a matter of waiting.”
Drivers may report troublesome potholes to Caltrans, which manages freeways and highways in California. For roads outside their jurisdiction, such as city and county mantainted roads, drivers are directed to report issues to those government bodies.
