Arnold Schwarzenegger's heart was in the right place, but it appears his shovel was in a service trench being used by the gas company.
The actor and former California governor posted video of the repairs on what he said was a "giant pothole" in Brentwood, a reasonable assumption after months of rain in Southern California left Los Angeles street crews with a long to-do list. The city of LA has received 19,642 pothole repair service requests since the end of December, officials said last week.
In a tweet, Schwarzenegger, 75, said the large hole in the street plagued drivers and bicyclists for weeks. The video showed the men using patching materials to fill the hole. At one point, a driver stops to thank Schwarzenegger, who was wearing wrap-around shades and a leather jacket.
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"Today, after the whole neighborhood has been upset about this giant pothole that’s been screwing up cars and bicycles for weeks, I went out with my team and fixed it," Schwarzenegger tweeted. "I always say, let’s not complain, let’s do something about it. Here you go."
But after video of the well-intentioned repair work was posted, the Los Angeles Department of Public Works told NBCLA the hole actually wasn't a pothole.
"This location is not a pothole," a spokesperson told NBCLA. "It’s a service trench that relates to active, permitted work being performed at the location by SoCal Gas, who expects the work to be completed by the end of May.
"As is the case with similar projects impacting City streets, SoCal Gas will be required to repair the area once their work is completed."
It was not immediately clear whether the hole Schwarzenegger filled in was scheduled for repair. SoCal Gas did not immediately respond to a request late Tuesday for comment to confirm whether the trench was still in use.
Daniel Ketchell, a spokesperson for Schwarzenegger, said Brentwood residents made repeated requests for repairs to the road since a series of winter storms in February and March.
Keith Mozee, executive director and general manager of the Bureau of Street Services, said last week that the department has received 19,642 pothole repair request since Dec. 30. About 17,459 of those requests have been completed, he said.
Under normal conditions, the repair response time is 1 to 3 days, he said. Crews are being diverted from other daily jobs to keep up with pothole repair demand, Mozee said.
"Repairing potholes is a daily task for us," Mozee said during a news conference in the San Fernando Valley. "We're making good progress, but it's not good enough for anyone who's been impacted by a pothole."
Filing a Pothole Claim With City of LA
Los Angeles has a system in place for residents to notify the city about potholes. State law allows the city "sufficient time" to fix a pothole after authorities are notified. The city told NBCLA it is committed to repairing potholes within three days.
- File a claim.
- Be sure to include as much documentation as possible, like repair bills and pictures.
- The city may request more documentation.
- The city's response will come in four to six weeks.
- For LA County drivers, a repair request can be made online by filling out a form.
How Potholes Form
Potholes typically form when water sinks into cracks in asphalt, then soaked up by the mixture of rock, gravel and sand supporting the street.
The weight of cars passing over the road force water through the roadbed, causing erosion. Asphalt then sinks into the eroded areas and cracked under the weight of passing cars.
That's when chunks of the road come loose and a pothole forms. The hole can be filled with
