More Streets Need Repair

City watchdogs began raising awareness about the poor condition of streets three months ago. The list of streets needing repair has grown to more than 200. Volunteers are documenting the damage by driving through neighborhoods, taking pictures and measuring the width and depth of large cracks. City administrators say they have no employees who routinely inspect streets. Residents are responsible for reporting potholes and other damage.

While a large area in the northwest section of the city is due for street resurfacing this year, many streets in poor condition are outside that area. Adding to the list this week, 18 streets are not scheduled to be resurfaced until Fiscal Year 2013-2014. The area isn’t uniformly in need of immediate attention, but it demonstrates that streets cannot go seven years without resurfacing, as is the city’s current plan.

Many Mission Viejo residents can see a street in poor condition by walking out in front of their house. On streets in worst condition, horizontal cracks extend the width of the street in front of every home. Exceptions are in a southwest portion of the city, which was resurfaced within the last year or two. This area (in good condition) is west of Marguerite Pkwy, bordered on the south by Avery and on the north by La Paz Road.

The most recent additions to the list of streets needing repair are south of Oso and east of Felipe. A few streets in this area are worn but not cracked. Nearly all of the streets need a slurry coat, and water is permeating the asphalt with each rain. Most streets are rough and showing signs of deterioration, with routine maintenance three to four years away.

• Ambia: intersection of Ambia and Ambia has an extensive network of cracks.
• Barbadanes at Ambia: intersection has a horizontal crack with a pothole forming.
• Baronet and Ashford: intersection has mosaic-like cracking.
• Bridgeton and Baronet: intersection has mosaic-like cracking.
• Camden: entire street has a network of cracks, some are wide.
• Celenova: network of cracks, some wide ones; patchwork resulted in uneven road.
• Corsica: most of street has a network of cracks (hairline to wide); worn and rough.
• Durham: extensive network of cracks, some hairline.
• El Retiro (north of Felipe): Intersection of El Retiro and Trasmiras has an extensive network of cracks; repaired cracks are reopening. El Retiro and Barbadanes intersection: pothole.
• Esteban and Barbadanes: intersection has a pothole; some cracking on Esteban.
• Marsala: network of cracks entire length of street, hairline to moderate.
• Maside: worn, some cracks and the cul-de-sac is cracked up.
• Mikanos: cul-de-sac is cracked up.
• Milano: all cracked up, hairline to wide cracks; cul-de-sac is cracked, rough and uneven.
• Ridgemark: most of street has a network of cracks; worn and rough.
• Sotelo: rough and worn; cul-de-sac is cracked, and weeds are growing in the cracks.
• Trasmiras: Areas in best condition have only hairline cracks; entire street is cracking, and the cul-de-sac is cracked up.
• Via Mondelo: cracks are hairline to wide; entire length of street is cracked.