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Traffic on PCH (Photo by Ben Young/Ph. Editor)
This year’s weather has been off to a rocky start, literally, for most of the Malibu area. Although the rain has stopped, Caltrans and Los Angeles County Public Works crews continue to the battle rock and mudslides throughout the area.
At Topanga Canyon and Pacific Coast Highway, Caltrans crews had temporarily shut down one lane of the highway while grating the hillside above to prevent slides in the future.
The road has since reopened but is still causing a significant slow down for motorists on Pacific Coast Highway, leaving many frustrated at the hour-long commute from Malibu to Santa Monica.
“It used to take me only 15 or 20 minutes to get from Santa Monica to Pepperdine, now it takes at least an hour or hour and a half to get here,” said Pepperdine staff member Jaime Gladin. “I’m almost ready to go all the way around, but with that construction and accidents, it would take just as long.”
There also was construction on Topanga Canyon Road near Fernwood, but it was halted when workers found a severed foot at the construction site. Work will begin again at that site after authorities complete an investigation of the area, according to the California Highway Patrol. Topanga Canyon Road remains closed to the public except between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m. and in the evening between 4 p.m. and 11 p.m.
Those trying to outsmart the construction will still find themselves with a longer commute as work began on Las Virgenes Road today, slowing traffic on one of the major access roads through the Santa Monica Mountains. The road will be indefinitely closed between Meadowcreek Road and Agoura Road with a detour at Lost Hills while crews work to clean up a small landslide and lay piping in preparation for a nearby housing community.
“The detour is a bit of an inconvenience, and I hope they can clean up the mess soon because it would be nice to finally have our roads back to normal,” said junior Christine Blue.
A landslide occurred Monday next to the Las Virgenes Water District offices on Las Virgenes Road near the Standard Pacific Homes development. According to Public Safety Sergeant Alex Ghazalpour, private construction crews have obtained conditional use permits to periodically close the roadway to allow for clean up and also piping for the new community.
All motorists are permitted to use Malibu Canyon and Las Virgenes Roads during the construction, but should expect significant delays and may be asked to use Lost Hills as an alternate route.
“All we can ask is that people be patient with us and others on the road during this time,” CHP Sergeant John Lago said. “We’re doing the best we can.”
Submitted 03-31-2005
MALIBU, CA
