The following statement was released by CalTrans:
MALIBU – The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) announces that a portion of State Route-23 is now open to residents onlybetween Decker School Rd. and lower Mulholland Dr. above the city of Malibu. Flagging operations permitting one direction of travel at a time will be in effect within these parameters while work continues.
Heading north on SR-23 from SR-1 (Map attached):
CLOSED: SR-23 from SR-1 to Decker School R
OPEN to residents only: SR-23 from Decker School Rd. to lower Mulholland Dr. (Accessible via SR-1 to Encinal Canyon Rd. to SR-23.)
CLOSED: SR-23 from lower Mulholland Dr. to upper Mulholland Dr.
OPEN: SR-23 from upper Mulholland Dr. to US-101.
Vehicles will not be able to travel Mulholland Dr. from SR-1 across SR-23 to Kanan Rd.
SR-23 between SR-1 and upper Mulholland Dr. within the Woolsey Fire burn area has been closed to the general public since early November. The closure on the south end at SR-1 was implemented by and has been maintained by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. The closure on the north end at upper Mulholland Drive was implemented by and has been maintained by the California Highway Patrol. The new closures at Decker School Rd. and at lower Mulholland Dr. are now also maintained by CHP.
SR-23 will remain closed from lower Mulholland Dr. to upper Mulholland Dr. until further notice to allow further work by utlity companies and by Caltrans.
The roadway remained closed primarily to provide utility companies a safe and unrestricted work space. Southern California Edison and Frontier Communications have been replacing poles, cable and line across steep terrain and on extremely narrow slopes
As of Friday, December 7, a Caltrans contractor has been replacing guardrail. The critical guardrail at the south end of the closure near SR-1 will be replaced first and the contractor will work northward to replace all guardrail up to upper Mulholland Dr. This is expected to take up to six weeks.
Much of the rail is intact, but most of the wooden support posts were burned. The current 27” tall guardrails will be replaced by 31” rails and the wooden posts will be replaced with metal posts. Caltrans engineers and geologists will determine if additional guardrail is required.
Cranes with stabilizer arms for the utility companies and for the guardrail contractor require the full space of the roadway lanes.
Multple sections of roadway within the closure were subject to flooding and mud slides during two rain storms in early December. A separate contractor is clearing all debris from the roadway shoulder and from all storm drains. Caltrans geologists have recommended two types of erosion control for the slopes:
- Hydroseed, which is seed combined with a binding agent that is sprayed over the terrain.
- Rock screen, which is similar in appearance to chain link fencing and is secured with long shafts driven deep into the ground. The exisiting rock screen in multiple areas within the closure performed well, but will also be replaced in case the integrity of the metal was compromised. Geologists will determine if additional rock screen is required.
Caltrans, CHP, LASD, L.A. County Fire, L.A. County Public Works Dept., and the utility companies have been meeting regularly to determine when it will be safe to open the roadway to the public.The priority is to make the roadway safe for drivers and vehicles. The duration of the hard closure remains unknown. Caltrans and our partners thank the residents and the public for their patience and understanding.
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