Driving around Long Beach is getting a lot smoother thanks to relentless work from the city’s Public Work crews.
“We are filling 5,000 potholes a month,” said Eric Lopez, Director of Public Works. “Our goal is to get to 10,000 potholes and keep going to zero.”
Six crews have been working six days a week to tackle the pothole problem, fixing 28,000 of the 63,000 that Lopez said was caused largely by unprecedented rains this past Winter.
“I love rain, but I hate potholes. And unfortunately, rain creates potholes,” said Lopez.
Lopez told the city council 23 inches of rain last winter pummeled streets as historic flooding submerged cars and uprooted massive trees.
The city had 100 employees at the height of the storms, clearing gutters and removing debris.
Crews, who have also being filling cracks or sealed more than 15 million square feet of pavement, are on track to tackled 30,000 square feet of sidewalks, curbs and gutters as part of the city’s “Elevate 28” project to get infrastructure in tip top shape in time for the Olympics.
“It’s obviously great because it makes the neighborhood look better,” said Brandon Castagna, who was enjoying an afternoon walk with Lizbeth Garcia Nunez along their newly pavement street in North Long Beach.
“The streets right now are very beautiful,” says Garcia Nunez.
The couple said it was a 180-degree change from how the streets had been the last few years.
“It looked a little off roady, but in the middle of the road. It would be nice and then all of the sudden, bup bup bup for a couple of feet,” said Castagna, who hopes it will have a trickle-down effect of homes. “A lot of people do take pride in their home.. This is what they work for. This is where they raise their family. A little changes like that just right outside your doorstep really find their way inside your doorstep.”