Interstate 5 Potholes Mean Emergency Repairs Looming
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — One of the most traveled roadways in Sacramento is undergoing emergency repairs this Labor Day weekend after a pothole on Northbound I-5 damaged nearly two dozen cars Thursday morning.
A pothole surfaced near the Richards Boulevard exit, blowing out drivers' tires. It's the second incident this month in the same area.
Caltrans says it's shutting down all four lanes of Northbound I-5, during a "rotating" 59-hour closure, lasting through Tuesday morning.
RELATED: Pothole Damages At Least 20 Cars On I-5 In Sacramento
During the day, crews will close off lane numbers 1 and 2, and lane numbers 3,4 and 5 during nighttime work.
According to CalTrans, about 100,000 cars and trucks drive through that stretch of Northbound I-5 every day.
Tire after tire busted after running over a ruptured pothole on Northbound I-5.
"This is what I hit, this right here," said Kevin Daniels, holding a large rock.
Daniels was derailed on his way to work early Wednesday. He joined nearly two dozen drivers whose cars fell victim to ruptured rubble.
"My two front tires are gone, $200 tires," Daniels said.
This is the second incident in a month, to hit the same area. Another large chunk of pavement broke off along Northbound I-5 several weeks ago, damaging several cars, even destroying a windshield.
"We know we need to do resurfacing and repaving out there," said CalTrans Deputy Director Ryan Chamberlain.
Chamberlain says a $370 million dollar project, partially funded by the gas tax, is slated to begin in October to address the crumbling stretch of Northbound I-5.
Caltrans says pavement typically lasts between 20 to 30 years before it needs to be repaved.
So, when was the last time this stretch of Northbound I-5 was repaved?
"I don't have any specifics on that," said a CalTrans Spokesman.
The spokesman tells CBS13 that area was retrofitted in 2008, and again in 2011.
Caltrans blames the lack of funding, and more than $100 billion in deferred maintenance, for doing Band-Aid repairs instead of a full-scale repaving project.