Highway 150 landslide: Emergency shuttle service may start as early as next week

Emergency shuttle service could begin as early as next week for residents blocked by a massive landslide on Highway 150 near Santa Paula, officials said late Thursday.

Last month, the slide buried a stretch of the rural state highway in a massive pile of mud and debris that blocks the only direct route between Santa Paula and Ojai. The California Department of Transportation has said it could be months before the road could even partially open. Crews cannot risk triggering additional slides that could damage nearby homes or utility lines in the area, according to the agency.

In the meantime, those living or working in nearby communities are stuck with long detours and worry about delays for emergency services.

Caltrans estimates roughly 3,200 vehicles used the stretch of the 150 daily. The closure leaves drivers to loop around through Ventura via Highways 126, 101 and 33 to reconnect with the 150 into Ojai. For some, a 14-mile roundtrip commute is now 90 miles.

Residents have urged agencies to create a pedestrian path around the slide — one that could allow them to park, walk around it and then get picked up by a shuttle on the other side. If a path doesn't happen, they asked that a bus or shuttle be dedicated to take people on the long detour.

Plans for a footpath stall

Martin Erickson, executive director of the Ventura County Transportation Commission, said at a community meeting Thursday night that agencies hope to get a shuttle running as soon as possible. Officials were finalizing plans but the temporary service could start as early as next week, Erickson said.

"Since shortly after the slide, we have been looking into having a shuttle that will run on an emergency temporary basis," he said.

The routes would essentially replicate those many have to drive now to get to work or school and likely be available until the road at least partially opens, he said. If a path does happen, then the shuttle could adapt its route.

Caltrans officials have said they are researching various spots and talking to private property owners about a potential walkway or temporary road. As of Friday, the agency had not yet identified a location, spokesman Michael Comeaux said.

"The issue is either the path would be so close to the slide that it would be unsafe," Comeaux said. "Or it would be farther away and it would be on private property."

Highway reopening date could change

Conversations with private property owners have not yet led to a solution, he said.

Residents asked about the timing and why work cannot happen more quickly. Caltrans officials said the agency drilled into the slide and the ground to take core samples, which are now being tested by laboratories. Those results are expected to help them understand how to work while keeping the material stable.

"We're looking at every alternative we can," said Jacqueline Martin, acting chief for the agency's geotechnical design office. "We're trying to see if we can start building a section of the wall and getting one lane open."

Caltrans does not yet have a firm estimate for reopening the highway because of unknowns, including weather conditions, Comeaux said at the meeting.

"Our best hope is that by the end of May, we hope that we can have at least one lane open to traffic," he said.

More information is available at vcemergency.com or at dot.ca.gov/caltrans-near-me/district-7.

Cheri Carlson covers the environment and county government for the Ventura County Star. Reach her at cheri.carlson@vcstar.com or 805-437-0260.

This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Highway landslide: Shuttle service may start as early as next week