Newly formed potholes giving Southern California motorists headaches
Rounds and rounds of rain have pummeled SoCal to begin the year, unsurprisingly causing massive potholes on freeways and surface streets in one of the most car-dependent regions of the country.
One such hole in the road opened up on an important interchange on the 101 Freeway; motorists told KTLA on Monday that they are frustrated that their drive is more challenging than usual due to the plethora of potholes.
“You can’t really see them, and they just come out of nowhere,” said San Fernando Valley resident Elijah Siegal. “Then you hit this large bump, and it’s like ‘Oh, is my car screwed up now?’”
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Video captured by KTLA on Monday shows driver after driver smashing into the hole in the road to get onto the 101 Freeway via the Laurel Canyon on-ramp.
“To run along these places and have your car jar and your alignment get messed up by streets in disrepair is ridiculous,” said Ken Chambers, another San Fernando Valley resident.
A massive pothole seen at the Laurel Canyon Boulevard on-ramp to the 101 Freeway on Feb. 20, 2024. (KTLA) A car navigates through a pothole on the Laurel Canyon Boulevard on-ramp to the 101 Freeway on Feb. 19, 2024. (KTLA) A car navigates through a pothole on the Laurel Canyon Boulevard on-ramp to the 101 Freeway on Feb. 19, 2024. (KTLA) A massive pothole seen at the Laurel Canyon Boulevard on-ramp to the 101 Freeway on Feb. 20, 2024. (KeyNews) A massive pothole seen in the San Fernando Valley. (KTLA) Crews on the scene of a pothole-filled roadway.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass announced on Saturday that city crews repaired more than 4,000 potholes across L.A. over the previous week, but with the continued rainfall, more and more keep popping up.
Large holes have also appeared on other key interchanges, including the northbound off-ramp to Skirball Center and Mulholland Drive on the 405 Freeway, which is set to be closed for up to a month due to a sinkhole in the roadway.
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As of Tuesday morning, only part of the Laurel Canyon on-ramp had been repaired; crews were seen out making repairs to the ramp on Monday but left for an unknown reason before they could be completed.
The ramp was initially shut down for an indefinite period of time, but according to the Caltrans QuickMap, the closure is expected to end at 2 p.m. Tuesday.
Potholes on Los Angeles roads can be reported by calling 311 or visiting www.myla311.lacity.org
Claims about potholes on freeways and state highways should be directed to Caltrans.
Drivers whose vehicles sustain damage from potholes must check who owns the stretch of roadway where the incident occurred before submitting a claim.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.
