City: Schwarzenegger repaired utility trench, not a pothole

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The “giant pothole” that Arnold Schwarzenegger said he recently filled on a street in his Los Angeles neighborhood was actually a trench that had been dug for utility work, according to the city.

Southern California Gas Co. had covered the trench with temporary asphalt that was to be replaced with a permanent surface, the Los Angeles Department of Public Works said in a statement.

“We have notified the Gas Company of the issue and the need for them to maintain the site pavement until their permanent paving is constructed,” the statement said.

After months of heavy rains that have turned roads into tire-popping swiss cheese for many commuters, Schwarzenegger struck a chord when he released a video of himself and a crew filling a depression on a street with packaged asphalt patch.

“Today, after the whole neighborhood has been upset about this giant pothole that’s been screwing up cars and bicycles for weeks, I went out with my team and fixed it,” he wrote on Twitter. “I always say, let’s not complain, let’s do something about it. Here you go.”

A passing motorist paused to thank the actor, who also filled another smaller hole.

SoCal Gas said in a statement that an upgrade of a pipeline system there was completed on Jan. 26 but rain delayed permanent paving, which is usually done in about 30 days. The utility’s crews returned to the site on Wednesday, a day after Schwarzenegger posted his video, and leveled off the patch he’d completed to make it stronger. It expects to finish permanent paving of the site on Tuesday.

“Teamwork. Happy to help speed this up, and thanks to the crew for pumping up my fix,” the former governor tweeted Friday.