Several active landslides closed the Pacific Coast Highway on Monday morning, and it was not immediately clear when traffic could pass again as highway crews scrambled to move rocks and debris.
The slides came after a series of winter storms drenched Southern California, dumping more rain than a typical year on the region in a matter of weeks. The National Weather Service warned of the possibility of mudslides along the coast earlier this month.
Topanga Canyon Boulevard is closed in both directions between PCH and the community of Topanga, the California Department of Transportation announced in a social media post. Motorists should detour onto the highway east of Malibu, also known as State Route 27, due to the debris blocking the road.
A second landslide west of State Route 27 at Big Rock Drive forced the closure of PCH Sunday night, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department reported. announced in a separate news alert. Large rocks fell within a few feet of several vehicles parked near the slide, according to video from OnSceneTV.
On Sunday, an official announced to motorists present over a loudspeaker: “The road is closed. We don't have an ETA. You need to make a U-turn.”
Caltrans highway crews are also responding to two additional closures. The northbound lane of PCH near Will Rogers State Beach was closed Sunday due to a large debris flow, and another slide forced the closure of Corral Canyon Road near Solstice Canyon. There was no estimate of when any of the slides would be removed.
