It’s been a bumpy year so far for potholes

 Roadway pavement can become a patchwork of repairs after succumbing to potholes, whose presence markedly increased statewide following a steady parade of winter storms.
Caltrans Headquarters photograph

A steady succession of winter storms battered the state and wreaked havoc with roadways’ pavement

On March 15, sometimes referred to as the Ides of March, California had a bit of a pothole problem, and Caltrans crews were tasked to be the problem-solvers.

Atmospheric river after atmospheric river had been pouring over the state for months, and there were roadway pavements of asphalt and concrete that simply could not take it anymore. Not only were there tire-targeting potholes, but there also were flooded roads, fallen trees blocking roads and – on chronically elements-battered State Route 96 near Happy Camp – a massive rockslide completely and still actively burying that rural road.

Lots of challenges for lots of transportation officials and workers, but this story will focus on the smaller ones. The “quick fixes.”

The potholes.

Those pesky voids, which on concrete surfaces are called spalls, have no shortage of places to wreak traffic havoc on Caltrans-overseen roadways. Consider how extensive those roadways are: According to the Division of Maintenance’s Customer Service Request (CSR) webpage where residents can formally report the presence of potholes or other roadway issues, Caltrans owns or controls 15,133 centerline miles of highway in California.

Caltrans told NBC Bay Area in mid-February that the department receives about 1,000 pothole damage claims annually, but by that point in 2023 there already had been 459 such claims filed. Those claims stemmed from the more than 44,000 potholes that Caltrans had recorded in January and early February, a number that is about half the annual average.

In late March, the parade of media inquiries about potholes had been so relentless that Caltrans public information officers were told to use the following statement, as appropriate:

“Caltrans is aware of recent media coverage of the storms and resulting damage, including information on how to submit claims to Caltrans for vehicle damage caused by potholes and/or debris on our state highways.

“Some media coverage incorrectly suggests that Caltrans administers a reimbursement program for vehicle damage.  Under California law, Caltrans does not insure vehicles for damage on our highways.

“Drivers in California must exercise caution on all roads and carry adequate automobile insurance to cover liability and property damage. However, in limited circumstances, Caltrans may be statutorily responsible for damage to a vehicle. 

“Drivers on our state highways who believe Caltrans is responsible for damage to their vehicles can learn more about filing a claim on this Caltrans webpage. Caltrans evaluates claims for sufficiency and decides whether to reject, accept, or deny such claims.”

From July 1, 2022, through June 30 of this year, Caltrans crews patched 157,959 potholes and spalls, which represented 190,529 worker hours and cost more than $17.6 million.

To obtain a better understanding about how Caltrans repairs potholes and spalls, Mile Marker reached out to Angelo Gross, office chief for Maintenance support in District 3.

Obviously, Caltrans must know about the potholes before they can be repaired. Gross said the department learns about their presence in several ways, including through external customer service requests (CSRs) and Maintenance rupervisors' territory and asset assessments at least once a week to take note of any deficiencies (and from area superintendents, who make the rounds at least once a month), and through the California Highway Patrol (CHP), which communicates with Caltrans via the district transportation management centers (TMCs).

How soon after being told there is a pothole does Caltrans have to fix it? Gross said the department does understandably require sufficient time to prepare and to respond.

“Anything that’s a safety-related issue, we need to address immediately,” Gross said. “But the key thing is being aware in order to be able to provide an adequate and timely response.

“Before we put in a full response, we need to assess the area. See where it’s at. Is it safe to go out there and have the crews take care of it? Is it going to need a lane closure? Is it going to need a traffic break?

“And so, for example, if you’re talking somewhere in a rural area on State Route 45 in Yolo County, well you might get one car an hour out there, so it may not be that big of a deal that you must put in a full lane closure. You may be able to take care of the pothole with a traffic break and shadow truck. But if you’re talking somewhere on Cap City Freeway (also known as Business Interstate 80, in Sacramento), even on the shoulder you’re going to need some kind of traffic control, and something put in so you can safely get the work done.”

The latest Caltrans Maintenance Manual Volume 1 provides crew members with standard pothole repair basics. First, remove all loose material prior to patching them. Grade the area evenly with sloping sides to the depth of the patch. The bottom and sides should be primed. For priming, use either a liquid asphalt or emulsion. Pre-mixed material is then applied. Place it in cold and compact it. Make allowance for compaction that will permit the finished surface of the patch to be just slightly above the surrounding surface. And so on.

Gross said that a bag of premix runs anywhere from $15 to $40, with the more-expensive bags helpful in inclement weather situations.

“The main thing is getting the pothole clean,” he said. “Removing anything loose in there. Depending on traffic and the environment, you want to get it to where you get all the loose material out.” A properly patched pothole has to have “something solid to bind on.”

Generally, there’s no wait time required between pothole fix and people being able to drive over it.

Back on March 15, the presence of potholes was mentioned in newscasts up and down the state. A Caltrans spokesperson who was interviewed on Spectrum News 1 in Los Angeles referred to “a multitude of potholes,” adding that “potholes are being repaired in a multitude of areas.” A KNBC journalist reported live in Pacoima, where on State Route 71 some 30 vehicles had sustained flat tires and Caltrans crews were going through literally truckloads of repair materials trying to prevent more flat tires from happening. Bay Area reporters were populating the airwaves with similar tales.

This year’s Ides of March weren’t Julius Caesar-bad, but they certainly put Caltrans to the test.

Source: Angelo Gross, office chief for District 3 Maintenance support