Motorist changes route to avoid Highway 87 potholes

QI second Donald Barnett's denunciation of Highway 87 south of Julian.

I have lost any trust of that roadway after a severe pothole strike the night of the bomb cyclone weather event in January. I thought I was going to crash, that my not-very-old Tesla was going to buy the farm. You can see the place for yourself. It's in the No. 3 lane, southbound 87 by the Comerica Bank building, under the overhead sign. Look for the irregular dark “Band-Aid” patch in the road.

My brain catalogs potholes for future avoidance, but that one wasn't in my data bank. I think it opened up during that weather event and other potholes are, too. In the rain at midnight, you can't see them. Highway 87 is just that shabby.

My commute home has changed. I exit 87 at Julian Street and go via Autumn Street, Montgomery Street, Obama Boulevard and Bird Avenue to Willow Glen. — Marvin Laurence, San Jose

AHas anyone else changed their commute to avoid rough roads?

QIt's not the biggest road, nor is it used by the most people, but Chesbro Avenue between Calero Avenue and Blossom Hill Road in South San Jose is the worst street I have driven on around the Bay Area.

Manhole covers stick up in the middle of the road, creating unsafe dips and bumps. It's a roller coaster-worthy street caused, it appears, by roadbed settling, especially in the northbound lane. A few years ago someone spraypainted “Evil Knievel Jump” in front of one of the particularly severe dips. — Steve DeJarnett, San Jose

AThis does sound like a dangerous road.

QThe other morning I was almost Tboned at Whipple Avenue and Veterans Boulevard in Redwood City. The power was out so the street lights and traffic lights were not functioning. I was driving westbound on Whipple when I came to the Veterans Boulevard intersection, which was very dark.

Having driven there many times, I know it has a light, so I stopped and looked both ways. The intersection seemed clear but when I was almost through it, a car barreling down Veterans almost hit me. I could hear the skidding behind me.

To someone who doesn't know the area, it would be very easy to miss the non-functioning light. Could police place reflective signs at intersections when the lights go out so people realize it is a four-way stop? — Jim Cranney, Mountain View

APolice sometimes do this, usually when one or two stoplights are out. When there are massive outages, this is difficult to do, but this does sound like an intersection that was particularly dangerous in those conditions.