Drivers frustrated over poor condition of busy Tuolumne County road
SONORA – Neighbors in Tuolumne County say chunks of road are breaking off and being flung at cars along a major county roadway.
About 15,000 cars drive up and down Tuolumne Road every day where the road still hasn't been repaired and now community members are frustrated over this.
It's gotten to the point where some people are ready to take legal action, while others are throwing their hands up in the air wanting to give up. They say this stretch of road has been dangerous and undrivable for the past eight months and nothing has been fixed.
One of the busiest roads in Tuolumne County is driving dozens of community members mad.
Several people in the communities of Tuolumne and Sonora gathered Wednesday, fed up with this major stretch of road breaking apart.
"The body shops couldn't get it off," Wanda Griffin said.
The damage to Griffin's car is still visible from December when asphalt was kicked up and stained her car.
"With it being close to $5,000, that's a lot more than I can do," Griffin said.
"Both estimates are...one is a little over $10,000. One is $10,000," said June Nielsen.
Nielsen is looking at twice that amount for the damage to her truck.
"There's chips that have flown up as I've driven by. Some gone down to the metal and put dents all the way up to the hood and the cabin of the truck," Nielsen said.
"Every day I got to work, I come home, I see it, I feel I drive it. I've had my car damaged," said Anaiah Kirk, Tuolumne County District 3 supervisor.
Kirk is the county supervisor who looks over the Tuolumne corridor.
"What the hell happened with Tuolumne Road, that's what we're trying to figure out," Kirk said.
The company that did the repavement is American Pavement Systems, Inc. (APS). They finished the project in October of 2023.
They say the county told them to use a half-inch aggregate for pavement instead of three-eighths the company recommended.
"Due to the heavy traffic and intersections in that area... American Pavement Systems, Inc. submitted a change order request on September 13, 2023, and this request was denied by the county," APS said in a letter sent to CBS13.
APS said it's now working with the county to find a solution, something everyone hopes happens soon.
"We just need to get the road fixed," Kirk said.
In a press release obtained by CBS13, Tuolumne County released the following statement:
"In an effort to ensure the safety of Tuolumne County citizens, provide proper stewardship of taxpayer dollars and keep the public informed on vital infrastructure projects, this release should serve an update on the ongoing issues related to the Tuolumne Road Surface Treatment Project. Citizens have understandably been frustrated by the poor quality of the project, and Tuolumne County maintains that the work was below the standards that our citizens deserve."
The county could issue an emergency fix and get it done themselves but they legally have to give APS time to fix the road first.
They say the deadline is July 23 to fix the issue and after that, they will consider using the emergency fix.
The county says to file a claim for any damage you have through the county's official website here.