Q: Gary, I vote your answer on stopping water leaking onto Highway 101 near Oakland Road as your worst answer of the year.

Dave S., Gilroy

A: Caltrans and the Santa Clara Valley Water District have tried to keep water off the concrete. Pavement repairs were made in May, and nearby pumps are constantly in use. Officials now hope a dry fall will help the water to recede soon but fear that with a wet winter, flooding will persist into next year. That angers many.

Q: Here we have a major problem that will definitely cause an accident if not fixed; has been a problem for years and the action plan is: Caltrans thought it would FIX ITSELF!  I drove by the leak last week and there are two fissures that have opened up in the pavement. This is a busy area where the speed limit is completely ignored. And if you have never driven through this standing water before, it comes up very fast and completely surprises you.

“IT MAY LINGER INTO NEXT SPRING” is unacceptable. My guess is that they could dig down, find the source, and seal it. But so far the action plan is: NOTHING! Caltrans must be related to PG&E.

Dave S., Gilroy

A: It’s not that simple. The source is groundwater, a naturally occurring body of water underneath the surface, and common under the valley floor.

Groundwater under 101 is usually 5 to 15 feet beneath the surface. But after last winter’s heavy rains, it is now much higher. Imagine a network of rivers underground, still very full from last winter.

With groundwater now close to the surface in many parts of the county, it’s not unusual to see water on low-lying portions of roads, inside basements, construction excavations, and so on. Property owners are responsible for getting rid of the water and avoiding flooding, or in the case of the freeway, it is Caltrans’ responsibility. There are many ways to do that, including pumping and utilizing drainage systems, among other things. In some instances, more engineering and planning is needed to understand how to best get rid of the excess water at the surface. That can mean more pumps or building a new drainage system.

Or waiting for Mother Nature to take control.

Q: There is a new Hawk light that went in on El Camino Real and Helen Avenue in Sunnyvale, which has not been activated. It is just sitting there looking like a statue. Do some magic here and get this new Hawk signal activated soon.

J. Fee

A: PG&E is scheduled to power the system in mid-December and Caltrans will activate it soon after. A Hawk light stops traffic to allow pedestrians and bicyclists to cross the street only when the button is pushed.

Look for Gary Richards at Facebook.com/mr.roadshow or contact him at mrroadshow@bayareanewsgroup.com.