Backlog of pothole repairs has dropped by 80% thanks to ‘ all hands on deck’ approach following winter storms
SAN DIEGO – In just a matter of weeks, the City of San Diego has dramatically reduced a backlog of pothole repair reports, a decrease of more than 80%, thanks to an increase in staffing and resources devoted to patching potholes. Since Jan. 1, City crews have repaired more than 14,000 potholes in total across San Diego.
Pothole reports spiked last month, following several days of heavy rain. To address the sudden increase, Mayor Todd Gloria directed an “all hands on deck” approach from relevant city departments to fill potholes across the City. As a result, city teams were assigned to make repairs seven days per week, including some night work. The city’s Transportation Department deployed nine patching trucks, along with 30 two-person teams carrying bagged asphalt, and a dump truck repurposed to carry hot asphalt.
“The people of San Diego want their city government to respond quickly to needs in their neighborhood, and as mayor, I expect the same,” Mayor Todd Gloria said. “After heavy rain in January and early February, we did just that, quickly reorganizing our transportation crews, deploying them across the city and efficiently filling thousands of potholes. We have more to do, but I’m proud of our city workers for getting it done.”
As of Wednesday, Feb. 15, there are approximately 350 open pothole reports in the city’s Get It Done app, down from a high of 2,233 in January 2023. Get It Done reports only account for some of the potholes identified by city crews as needing repair. On a non-rainy day, the city has an average of 200 pothole requests to be filled.
Filling potholes is a year-round task for city crews, but wet weather can exacerbate the problem as water seeps into the surface of the street, causing the asphalt to loosen and potholes to develop. In addition to filling potholes, the city continues to repair and resurface roads through its slurry seal program.
Preventing deterioration of streets is key to improving the overall condition of San Diego’s network of streets and reduces the need for more costly asphalt overlay and reconstruction required for badly deteriorated streets. View a map of repairs in your neighborhood by visiting the Streets Map webpage at https://streets.sandiego.gov.
San Diegans are encouraged to continue reporting potholes to the city by using the Get It Done application or by calling 619-527-7500.
(City of San Diego Release)
