Authorities in Los Angeles have revealed that the “giant pothole” filled in by Arnold Schwarzenegger was in fact a “service trench” being used for “permitted work” by a Californian gas company.
The Terminator actor and former California governor, 75, shared a video of himself filling the hole on social media on Wednesday after he claimed the crater had been “screwing up cars and bicycles for weeks” in Brentwood, an LA neighbourhood known for its A-list residents.
In the clip, a passer-by thanked them for taking action and Schwarzenegger replied, “You’re welcome” while decked out in work boots, a leather jacket and sunglasses.
He added: “You have to do it yourself. This is crazy – for three weeks I’ve been waiting for this hole to be closed.”
Alongside the post, the Hollywood actor wrote: “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.
“I always say, let’s not complain, let’s do something about it. Here you go.”
In light of his claims, a spokesperson for the City of Los Angeles has said that the Hollywood star may have been misinformed about the nature of the road cavity.
In a statement shared with NBC Los Angeles, a spokesperson wrote: “This is not a pothole.
“It’s a service trench that relates to active, permitted work being performed at the location by SoCalGas, who expects the work to be completed by the end of May.
“As is the case with similar projects impacting City streets, SoCalGas will be required to repair the area once their work is completed.”
A service trench is a hollow cut made into the ground to allow maintenance work to be undertaken below the surface of the road.
The Standard has gone to Arnold Schwarzenegger’s rep for comment.
