Tthe City of San Diego has embarked on a road resurfacing project that will improve Village Glen Drive's condition. This week, work will begin on this thoroughfare, reflecting the culmination of District 7 residents' frustration with countless potholes and the city's commitment to finding an efficient, cost-effective solution. According to a City of San Diego news release, the project will be completed by an in-house team, allowing for speedy work on the affected streets.
The project resulted from strong advocacy by community members and Serra Mesa's councilmember, Raul Campillo. In a statement, Campillo spoke about the significant efforts he made on behalf of District 7 by emailing, calling, and attending meetings to resolve this pressing issue. "I’ve made phone calls, sent emails, attended meetings and advocated on behalf of District 7 residents since Day 1 in office to do everything in my power to fix our roads. Serra Mesans and all San Diegans deserve safe, smooth streets to drive on. Soon, Village Glen Drive will meet the high street quality standards that my office and I aim to implement throughout District 7."
By addressing the numerous pothole reports and repair requests, the City introduces the next step in its Transportation Department’s “Hot Roads” initiative. This program prioritizes small road segments with a substantial history of pothole patching and frequent Get It Done reports by moving their repairs forward on the department's work schedule. For most of the last year, Village Glen Drive received numerous Get It Done requests and a total of 417 completed pothole repairs. Through this proactive approach, San Diego prepares for its rainy season, when the occurrence of potholes increases due to precipitation.
When they find that a street requires full resurfacing due to underlying pavement conditions, the city typically completes the task using an asphalt overlay through its Capital Improvement Program, executed by contractors. However, for smaller street segments with significant deterioration, the Transportation Department deploys its two in-house mill and pave teams, allowing for quicker, more cost-efficient road repair. These teams are responsible for taking care of approximately five miles of roadway every year, as reported in the city's news release.
Consisting of 12 individuals per team, the in-house mill and pave teams work together capably, offering specialized skills in grinding and paving equipment operations, driving heavy trucks for material transport, and ground teams to support the paving work and provide traffic control. The crews are now working on giving Village Glen Drive the facelift it requires, promptly addressing its rough conditions to make it safer and more enjoyable for residents.
