The recent round of rain has come + gone, and sunny skies persist… and, inexplicably, so do puddles on certain San Jose roadways. We’re talking the southbound I-101 before I-880, and northbound I-880 between North Bascom + the Alameda.
Even without rain, these spots continue to retain water, but why? Here’s what we know.
- Groundwater in the region begins at ~10 ft below the surface.
- Northbound I-880 before the Alameda is ~81 ft above sea level . (The I-101 spot is ~53 ft.)
- Caltrans is aware of the problem , and is working on a solution with Valley Water.
- Roadway projects in Santa Clara County have been planned through the next 10 years.
- None of the Caltrans projects planned for I-101 or I-880 appear to include the constantly wet spots.
We’ll update the story as soon as we know more, but let us know if you’ve got any leads .