By DOUGLAS W. MOTLEY
Senior Writer
The San Bernardino County Department of Public Works is currently working on a long-planned road improvement project that has been in the works for nearly a year on Lake Drive from Highway 138 in Top Town Crestline to the stop sign at Lake Gregory and Lake Gregory Drive and from that point up Lake Gregory Drive to the signal at Highway 18.
However, due to last winter’s harsh weather, there are still some potholes along Lake Drive in Crestline’s main business district, though some have recently been filled with fresh asphalt. Meanwhile, there are even more potholes on Highway 173 between Highway 18 and Lake Arrowhead Village, as well as on Highway 189 between the Village and Blue Jay and then Blue Jay to Lake Gregory Drive.
In regard to the stretch of Highway 189 between Blue Jay and Lake Arrowhead Village, Caltrans District 8 Maintenance Department’s Public Information Officer Michael Martinez told the Alpine Mountaineer on April 25 that the agency’s crews began working in that area, with traffic control assistance from the CHP, on Monday, April 22. But, due to unfavorable weather setting in, they decided to wait for the return of warmer weather before continuing.
“The weather needs to be dry and the temperature needs to be above 50 degrees before we can continue laying asphalt,” Martinez said.
When asked how the March 2023 slipout of Highway 189 between Blue Jay and Lake Arrowhead was holding up, Martinez responded, “We had to do an emergency repair on that one. So far, it’s holding up. Currently, we’re focusing our efforts on the entire length of SR189, from the traffic light on SR18 in Crestline to Twin Peaks, Blue Jay and Lake Arrowhead.” Caltrans reportedly ordered the road closed from the Blue Jay Cinema to Lake Arrowhead and started an emergency repair project that cost $2.25 million.
Dozens of potholes and cracks litter Highway 138 from Top Town Crestline to Valley of Enchantment.
When informed that Highway 138 from Top Town Crestline to Valley of Enchantment is in terrible condition, with a series of potholes that have mostly been ignored for over two years, Martinez, who has been employed by Caltrans for two years, said he’d have to look into it.
In the meantime, the nearly yearlong repaving of Lake and Lake Gregory Drives, the so-called Lake Drive Project, is still in progress, with some of last year’s repaired potholes on Lake Drive popping up, once again. Lake Gregory Drive has had most of its potholes filled and is gradually being repaved, but is in need of a final layer of asphalt before the job is completed.
According to Jess Saldana, district supervisor of the Crestline road maintenance yard, the ongoing paving project should be completed by sub-contractor All American Paving as soon as warmer weather returns to the area.
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