La Jolla Shores Drive pothole once filled with sandbags remains after San Diego claimed it was repaired

A problematic pothole in La Jolla Shores that was once filled with sandbags remains, months after the city of San Diego was notified of its existence and city representatives said it had been patched.

News

‘I kind of cringed’: Sandbag-filled pothole in La Jolla Shores causes confusion

Someone used sandbags to fill a deep hole on La Jolla Shores Drive, but who? The city of San Diego denies involvement.

June 24, 2023

City spokesman Anthony Santacroce told the La Jolla Light on Aug. 24 that “I am going to request that a pothole patch team come to this area to address the potholes along La Jolla Shores Drive, both the one in question and others in the vicinity.”

In May, resident Dan Goese used the city’s Get It Done app to report the deep curbside pothole on the north side of La Jolla Shores Drive near Downwind Way after seeing cars struggle to park over it. In addition to his concern for the cars, he said someone getting out of a car or crossing the street could step in the deep hole and “break an ankle or worse.”

A month later, sandbags were observed in the pothole and Goese received a city email indicating the issue had been resolved.

The city denied involvement with the sandbags, saying its crews did not place them there. The sandbags were soon removed.

A deep pothole along the north side of La Jolla Shores Drive, pictured in June, was temporarily filled with sandbags by an unknown person.

(Elisabeth Frausto)

The city said the case report was closed prematurely due to human error.

Santacroce said at the time that city staff would be there June 23 “for inspection and patching of that pothole.” Though city workers did fix a pothole on La Jolla Shores Drive, it was downhill from the one that was reported. Thus, the city plans to dispatch a crew to fix the originally reported pothole.

The Get It Done app, which is used to submit requests for repairs to the city, requires an address so crews can find the problem. Uploading a photo is among the tips and tricks listed on the city’s website for how to make efficient and effective reports: “When taking a photo, include the surrounding area to help city workers locate the issue.”

A timeline on the website for how long it takes to resolve problems indicates that potholes typically take about 19 days.

Learn more at getitdone.sandiego.gov. ◆