Flooding on 101 creates a steady stream of potholes
Q In San Jose there is a reoccurring pothole in lane 4 on southbound Highway
101 between Interstate 880 and the
13th Street exit. Water is seeping up through the pavement and Caltrans does not seem to be able to fix it. As cars drive over the water, it causes a pothole to form. The pothole is getting deep and needs to be fixed before it causes an accident.
This pothole has been fixed many times over the years. But for some reason, even with Caltrans knowing there is a problem at that location, this problem continues to occur. Why doesn't Caltrans schedule repair of the pothole monthly?
A Oh, no! Lake 101 is back. Originally, this stretch of 101 was two lanes. Thirty years ago when the road was going to be widened, Caltrans proposed raising the freeway to prevent underground water from seeping through the road. This would have involved raising the overpass, as well, to provide adequate space to elevate the road, putting more distance between the groundwater and the roadbed. But residents in the area complained that sightlines to and from the nearby Portuguese Catholic Church would be obstructed by the higher overpass. Caltrans acquiesced to that outcry and kept the freeway at the current elevation, which meant the road would periodically flood, and, as it turns out, also get potholes.
It got so bad three years ago that flooding covered almost the entire freeway in both directions for some time.
Q Mr. Roadshow, this has to do with NEVER leaving your car unattended or unlocked with the motor running or keys left in the ignition. This weekend, a mother was unloading groceries from her car with a 2-year-old asleep in the car. The car was taken with the child on board. All ended well, with the child found in the car a few hours later.
But please, REMOVE your precious cargo, your child, asleep or not, BEFORE unloading groceries or whatever. PLEASE do not give a thief an opportunity like that!
A You are so right.
Q For the past many months, the intersection of West Main Street and Santa Cruz Avenue in Los Gatos has been surrounded by vehicles and pedestrians, all waiting their turn to proceed. Much of the time, no one is crossing from any direction. What's the problem? — Dick Gaskill, Los Gatos
A Los Gatos has prioritized this intersection for pedestrians during the daytime. This means that pedestrian walk signals come on, even if nobody pushes the button. This does result in longer wait times at this intersection. The payoff is greater safety and convenience for pedestrians.