A large portion of Topanga Canyon Boulevard is still covered by a significant landslide, which remains a safety concern and may not be cleared until the fall, according to the California Department of Transportation.
Recent storms have made the unstable hillside even more saturated, causing concern for CalTrans officials.
Water seeping beneath the dirt, mud, and rocks indicates that the land may shift again, with particular worry over a large boulder with a 5 to 10-foot wide crack sitting about 10 feet high.
The unstable hillside presents a challenge and safety risk for crews tasked with moving material from the top to the ground.
The closure of the roadway extends from Grand View Drive in Topanga to Pacific Coast Highway.
Last month, the landslide was one of several that occurred after a series of winter rainstorms saturated Southern California, resulting in more rain than usual for the region in just a few weeks.
CalTrans officials estimate the landslide to be about 8,000 cubic yards and weighing approximately 9.2 million pounds.
“That is enough material to fill 5,500 dump trucks,” officials stated.
This landslide is twice the size of a major slide in the 1940s, with officials unsure of the time it took to clear that one.
Topanga Canyon Boulevard, also known as State Route 27, is a heavily traveled roadway from PCH to the Ronald Reagan Freeway.
Temporary traffic lights have been installed at Tuna Canyon Road and PCH as a safety precaution, officials noted.
