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A landslide in a rural Ventura County area continues to cause Balcom Canyon Road to sink and shift as dirt slowly slips downhill.
The stretch of road has been shutdown since last month when the problems surfaced. The route between Somis and Santa Paula remains closed from Bradley Road to South Mountain Road, leaving some drivers with long detours. But county officials say a fix could take months.
Heavy rainfall over the past two years likely soaked into the soil and rocks deep enough to cause earth to move, county geologist Jim O'Tousa said.
"It is probably an ancient landslide that hasn't reactivated in a while," he said.
When will the road reopen?
By mid-March, the surface of the road had dropped 9 inches in one spot. The slide also shifted the pavement roughly a foot horizontally. Since then, it has continued to move but "very slowly," O'Tousa said.
Crews initially tried a temporary fix but the ground was too unstable, said Anitha Balan, the county's transportation director. A geotechnical firm hired to evaluate the slide and recommend a plan also faced delays because of the movement.
It is too soon to say when temporary repairs will be possible, Balan said, but she estimated it likely could take at least a few months.
How many landslides were reported this year?
The slide was one of several reported in the county this year as much of the region marks back-to-back years of higher than normal rainfall.
Officials say it is difficult to predict if or when a landslide will happen. But the amount of rain leading up to a storm and the intensity of the rainfall are among several factors contributing to whether a slope fails. The problems don't always show up during the rain but can occur weeks later.
A slide on Highway 150 near Bridge Road, north of Santa Paula, was the most significant of several reported in February. The slide buried a stretch of the state highway, leaving a pile of mud and debris more than 50 yards long and blocking the only direct route between Santa Paula and Ojai.
When will Highway 150 reopen?
Officials with the California Department of Transportation have said it may be late May before the highway could even partially open. Crews cannot risk triggering additional slides that could damage nearby homes or utility lines in the area, according to the state agency.
Samples taken from the 150 slide were sent for testing last month. The design team is now using those results to develop plans to remove the mud and debris and make repairs, officials said this week. Depending on what repairs are needed, the timeline could change and an update is expected later this month.
An estimated 3,200 vehicles used the stretch of 150 daily. Drivers now have to loop around Ventura via Highways 126, 101 and 33 to reconnect with the 150. For some, a 14-mile roundtrip commute is now 90 miles. The Ventura County Transportation Commission is offering a free emergency shuttle service to help those residents get between Ojai and Santa Paula.
Cheri Carlson covers the environment and county government for the Ventura County Star. Reach her at cheri.carlson@vcstar.com or 805-437-0260.
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