SAN DIEGO — Back-to-back storms that have pounded San Diego are causing problems in more ways than one. In addition to the widespread flooding across the county, city crews are also not able to fix the roads at the pace they want to.
In fact, it has rained so much recently that city crews have logged 70 days of lost work so far this rainy season.
In addition to the lack of productivity in fixing the roads, the rain is causing the roads to crumble much faster than normal.
“When we have wet conditions or cold conditions, it’s really hard for us to be able to fill the potholes when there’s water in the potholes," said Bethany Bezak, Transportation Director for the City of San Diego. "We’re not able to have the asphalt stick to the ground.”
On Tuesday, City of San Diego officials held a press conference to discuss what they are doing to catch up on the backlog of about 1,350 pothole reports. When weather permits, road repair crews are working overtime and weekend hours to fill potholes throughout the city.
Earlier this month, the Transportation Department started a full assessment of road conditions across the entire city that will continue through the end of summer and be completed by the fall.
“That will help us prioritize work for the upcoming fiscal year and make sure that the most impacted roads receive the funding first,” said Bezak.
On any given day, about 60 crew members can repair between 100 - 200 potholes if they have the dry conditions necessary for the asphalt mix to adhere properly to the road. City officials say traffic conditions, driver speeds, and weather are all factors that contribute to how long a repaired pothole may last.
The City of San Diego says the best way to report potholes is through the Get It Done app.
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