Huge piles of mud still block California road, drone footage shows
Road crews are continuing to clear a mudslide that blocked access to the historic Topanga Canyon outside Los Angeles following the devastating Palisades Fire last month.
The mudslide sloshed into the canyon early Jan. 27, forcing the closure of SR-27. Caltrans on Feb. 2 said the road would be closed indefinitely, and on Saturday, Feb. 8, announced that a stretch of Pacific Coast Highway, where the Topanga Canyon Road starts, would remain closed indefinitely.
Drone footage taken Friday also shows huge piles of mud covering Topanga Canyon Boulevard.
Caltrans noted that more storms are expected early next week, and that debris basins that usually divert mudslides are already 80% full.
Video posted by the Caltrans agency shows stretches of the road covered in thick, dark mud, towering above the excavators removing blockages. In some areas, Caltrans workers used snowplows to push the mud off the roadway.
Even before the rains, rockslides loosed by the wildfire had tumbled onto the road. Experts had warned toxic mudslides posed a significant danger to the area following the fire, because it destroyed the trees and vegetation holding down the canyon's soil and rocks.
"Initial inspections have found fire-related damage, impacting many structures within state right-of-way, including retaining walls, slopes, guard rails, drainage, signs, traffic signals, and traffic control systems," Caltrans said in a statement. "Caltrans is exploring options for limited access, if feasible, and will maintain access for emergency responders during the closure. There is no estimated time of reopening."
A similar landslide in March 2024 blocked the road for months. About 14,000 vehicles a day use the road, according to CalTrans.
Topanga Canyon's road connects the Pacific Coast Highway with the inland San Fernando Valley, and is home to a small, rural community.
Among those who’ve called Topanga home or passed through are musicians and songwriters Neil Young, Jim Morrison and Danny Elfman, along with actor Joshua Jackson, star of "Doctor Odyssey," whose house burned down in the Palisades Fire.
Contributing: Reuters