Caltrans completes emergency pavement repairs ahead of schedule

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) recently announced it finished work ahead of schedule on 35 emergency pavement-repair projects, totaling $60 million.

Because these 35 projects were designated "emergency" projects, Caltrans was able to fast track the work. For example, six months were shaved off the normal timetable for these projects by accelerating the standard contracting procedure (advertising, bidding and awarding) via the emergency process.

"The average timetable for non-emergency repairs can be years," said Caltrans Director Will Kempton. "We did this work in nine months. Caltrans is evolving from a transportation bureaucracy into a mobility company."

Between December 2005 and April 2006, pouring rain and heavy snow resulted in $424 million in damages to California's highways. Emergency pavement repair projects accounted for $60 million.

Storm water infiltrated 20 highways in 21 counties, causing significant cracking and potholes. Caltrans worked diligently and restored about 500 lane miles of rough highway pavement following the 2005-06 winter storm season.