City of Compton plagued with potholes following recent storms

COMPTON, Calif. (KABC) -- A portion of the 71 Freeway in Pomona will be closed intermittently beginning Friday night and continuing through Monday for pothole repairs and the area is not the only one dealing with them.

In Compton, thousands of dollars have been spent to fill its potholes. The recent storms, which drenched Southern California for several days, along with constant traffic took a serious toll on the city's roads.

"We've had this problem for maybe two years," said resident Carlos Montefor. "They come and they fix it, just put the patch, do it for one day, close the street, and the next day, it's the same thing."

Heavily-traveled areas continue to be hazardous, causing damage to vehicles ranging from big rigs to small sedans.

Jose Duran, the owner of Freeway Tires in Compton, urges drivers to be careful - hitting a bit pothole can lead to a big repair bill.

"You can be driving every day but you don't notice it until after the rain is gone, most of the time," he said. "So it gets you by surprise. It can blow out your tires."

The city of Compton issued a statement on the issue, saying, "Repairing and reconstructing our streets continues to be a large priority to the City of Compton. The City's Street Division team is working overtime to fill the potholes created by the recent storms. To report potholes, residents can download the City of Compton's official app to inform the City of the pothole's exact location."

Meanwhile, the pothole problem was particularly hazardous on the 71 Freeway, with dozens of cars becoming disabled one morning last week during downpours that left the roadway in treacherous condition.

According to Caltrans, the freeway closures will begin at 10 p.m. Friday, when the entire northbound 71 Freeway is closed from Peyton Drive to Valley Boulevard/Holt Avenue. Northbound freeway ramps at Chino and Garey avenues, Rio Rancho Road and Mission Boulevard will also be closed, along with the westbound 60 Freeway connector to the northbound 71.

The closure will be in place until 9 a.m. Saturday.

At 11 p.m. Saturday, the southbound 71 Freeway will be closed from Valley Boulevard/Holt Avenue to Mission Boulevard, along with on-ramps in the area. The southbound 57 Freeway connector to southbound 71 will also be closed, as well as the eastbound 10 Freeway connector to southbound 71.

The closure will continue until 10 a.m. Sunday.

The southbound closure will be repeated at 10 p.m. Sunday, continuing until 6 a.m. Monday.

The northbound closure will be repeated from 9 p.m. Monday until 5 a.m. Tuesday.

Motorists were advised to avoid the area. Caltrans officials said residents and businesses in the area should anticipate noise, vibrations and dust due to the construction work.

City News Service, Inc. contributed to this report.