Arnold Schwarzenegger set out to repair pesky 'potholes' in his neighborhood: 'Let’s do something'

Arnold Schwarzenegger set out to help his fellow Brentwood residents by repairing a "pothole" in the street on Tuesday. The actor filled asphalt repair mix in what he said was a "giant pothole" that was plaguing drivers and cyclists in his Los Angeles neighborhood for weeks. According to NBC News, Schwarzenegger tweeted a video of him and someone else using packaged asphalt cold patch material to repair the area.

“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,” reads the tweet. “I always say, let’s not complain, let’s do something about it. Here you go.”

However, city officials say Schwarzenegger may have made a mistake. "This location is not a pothole," a spokesperson for the City of Los Angeles told NBC Los Angeles. "It’s a service trench that relates to active, permitted work being performed at the location by SoCal Gas, who expects the work to be completed by the end of May."

The spokesperson added, "As is the case with similar projects impacting City streets, SoCal Gas will be required to repair the area once their work is completed." In the tweet, which garnered over 11 million views, a neighbor rolled down her car window and shouted thanks for the good work being done. “You're welcome,” said Schwarzenegger, sporting a pair of work boots, a leather jacket and shades, which reminded fans of his role in “Terminator.”

The frustrated former governor of California and movie star took to the streets with a shovel, a bucket and a “do it yourself” attitude after waiting three weeks for the city to repair his local road. Daniel Ketchell, a spokesperson for Schwarzenegger, said Brentwood residents made repeated requests for repairs since winter storms cracked open potholes on roads.

According to the Los Angeles Times, one of the holes served as a service trench for permitted work by Southern California Gas Co. SoCalGas crews finished upgrading the pipeline at the end of January and “applied temporary paving over the excavation,” the company said in a statement.

SoCalGas applies permanent paving within 30 days of the project completion, but the schedule was delayed due to the rain and the paving is expected to be complete by the end of the week. Schwarzenegger's actions turned out to be a positive development as they brought attention to much-needed road repair, said Ketchell. He “isn’t attacking any city officials. He knows how much work Mayor Karen Bass has,” Ketchell added. “This is more of a reminder that these things can be done quickly.”

Keith Mozee, executive director and general manager of the Bureau of Street Services, said that the department received 19,642 pothole repair requests since December 30, and about 17,459 requests have been completed. Los Angeles has a system for residents to notify the city about potholes. State law allows the city "sufficient time" to fix a pothole after authorities are notified.

Moreover, the city told NBCLA it is committed to repairing potholes within days. Mozee said that under normal conditions, the repair response time is 1 to 3 days. The crew has been diverted from other daily jobs to keep up with pothole repair demand. "Repairing potholes is a daily task for us," Mozee said in a news conference in the San Fernando Valley. "We're making good progress, but it's not good enough for anyone who's been impacted by a pothole."