Ask TBC: Why is Highway 119 being repaved again?
| Wednesday, Nov 11 2009 03:00 PM
Last Updated Wednesday, Nov 11 2009 04:12 PM
Q: I would like to know why Taft Highway is being repaved only after five years of previously being paved? Nothing is or was wrong with the road. I understand that 119 is under review to be widened, but this new paving looks to have nothing to do with that. Is this just a way to spend (WASTE) stimulus money?
- Paul Olivarez
A: The project is a maintenance overlay of rubberized asphalt and open grade mix to preserve the road in between major pavement rehabilitations, said Caltrans spokeswoman Holly Vogel.
Five years between work is a long time for a road as well-traveled as Highway 119, she said.
Vogel said the rubberized asphalt makes for a quieter ride and the open grade part of the mix allows rainwater to pass through to an underlying dense layer, cutting down on water spray from tires -- making the road safer to drive on during rain.
By the way, Vogel said, the project is not being funded with stimulus money.
Q: When will we see the dead bushes and trash cleaned up on Highway 178 at Oswell Street and Mount Vernon Avenue?
The new work on the new 178 freeway is quite a welcome relief but the off-ramps are in terrible shape.
- Diane (last name not given)
A: You should have been seeing it this week. We posed this question to Vogel at Caltrans last week and she said crews were to work on trimming bushes and cleaning up trash this week. Let us know if you haven't seen a difference.
Q: I have tried to locate and contact city code enforcement but it is very difficult to send in complaints as its e-mail addresses don't work when clicked upon. I live in the city in the northeast and have a problem with an early a.m. rooster.
How do I get ahold of them and get some action on this?
- Dana Shepherd
A: The city has a hotline for complaints at 326-3712 and they're taken down daily, said Randy Fidler, chief code enforcement officer for Bakersfield.
But it could be a couple weeks before someone in code enforcement can respond, he said, and then there's due process of about 45 days. So sometimes code enforcement is doing something but it's not evident to the person complaining, Fidler said.
Ask The Californian appears on Mondays and Thursdays. Submit questions to asktbc@bakersfield.com or to The Bakersfield Californian, c/o Christine Bedell, P.O. Bin 440, Bakersfield, CA 93302.
