Topanga Canyon remains closed indefinitely amid fears of more landslides
TOPANGA CANYON, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A long stretch of Topanga Canyon Boulevard remained closed indefinitely Thursday as an incoming rainstorm heightened fears of even more landslides.
The ongoing closure, between Pacific Coast Highway and the neighborhood of Fernwood, began March 9 in the aftermath of a massive landslide that blocked the entire roadway. It marks the second time Topanga Canyon has been shut down this year.
"The hillside is still unstable," Caltrans spokesman Jim Medina said Wednesday. "It's an active slide and our drone video has shown that there's a tension crack above where the slide is. So that's concerning, because we have additional rain that's coming in this weekend. There's already water underneath, so the concern is that more rocks and the hillside will be falling down."
The community of Topanga remains accessible to drivers who take Topanga Canyon Boulevard south from the 101 Freeway.
Topanga resident David Emery said that due to the road closure he has been "rethinking a lot of plans going forward, like scheduling appointments. I often go to doctor's appointments on the Westside. Now I'm looking to the (San Fernando) Valley, seeing what's available in the Valley, doing more shopping in the Valley."
Topanga resident Anthony Eve Kemp is among those who see a silver lining in the closure.
"For some people it's just like a lovely thing," Kemp said. "Less traffic, less hassle. Of course we'd like people to be able to travel and get to their destination, but at the end of the day we want it to be safe."
