By Bruce Barton

County officials are addressing complaints of clumping asphalt along Foothill Expressway as the roads department and contractor work to wrap up the $3.1 million repaving project following a final inspection Sept. 19.

“It’s important to understand that the road isn’t finished yet,” Supervisor Joe Simitian said of the project that stretches from the Cupertino border through Los Altos to Palo Alto. “There is a long list of items to finish, what’s called a punch list. The contractor (DaSilva Gates) is obligated to work through that punch list before final payment on the job.”

Simitian estimated the contractor could take as long as another month to work through the list, which could involve asphalt clumping, stripping problems and cracks in the surface.

He said the work on Foothill has drawn mostly “rave reviews” among constituents. But a few Foothill users, such as Dr. Bill Dolan of Los Altos, still have their doubts.

Dolan, who bikes to work in San Jose, often by using Foothill, pointed to the clumps of asphalt in particular as a source of potential accidents.

Tim Hanshaw, a former offensive lineman for the San Francisco 49ers was one such victim of clumped asphalt on Foothill. He said he suffered injuries in an Aug. 12 accident while biking along Foothill near Arastradero Road in Palo Alto.

“I went over the bike head- first and got knocked unconscious,” said Hanshaw, who was with the 49ers in 1998. “They had just repaved it. The lump was the same color as the asphalt.”

Hanshaw said he suffered skin abrasions to his chin, face, shoulder, back and buttocks as he rolled several feet upon landing.

Dolan said asphalt clumps get leveled off by the continuous pressure of the cars driving over them. But this doesn’t happen with bike traffic.

Still, Simitian said he is aware of cyclist concerns and has a bike consultant working with the roads department on ensuring a smooth ride along Foothill.