Repairs to start on Highway 150 closed since a landslide; reopening date not yet known
Repairs were scheduled to start this week on a stretch of Highway 150 near Santa Paula that has been closed since a February landslide.
The slide buried part 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. Officials with the California Department of Transportation have previously said it could 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, they said.
Caltrans released new details this week, saying plans were ready to start the first phase of a retaining wall to shore up the slope. Plans call for building the wall in stages to allow construction to start while designs on future phases continue, Caltrans spokesman Eric Menjivar said. As of Tuesday, it was not yet known how those plans will affect the timeline.
"That is something we are going to assess," Menjivar said. "We will have a better idea very soon."
When will Highway 150 reopen?
The route has remained closed from Stonegate Road in Santa Paula to Steckel Park, leaving those living or working in nearby communities stuck with long detours. 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 to work or school is now 90 miles.
Caltrans has said it plans to partially reopen the highway when possible. That is still the goal, officials said this week. But the agency is assessing the timeline to see what will be feasible, Menjivar said.
How will Caltrans start repairs?
Samples taken from the 150 slide were sent for testing last month. The design team then used the findings to develop its designs to remove the mud and debris and make repairs, officials said.
Plans call for drilling holes and installing large beams deep into the slope to build the wall, which will likely be constructed in three phases. The first one also includes creating an access road, work that started this week. The beams are built offsite and will be shipped to the site over the weekend, officials said.
Caltrans also installed monitoring devices to detect any movement in the slope. If that happens, the equipment will sound an alarm to alert crews working in the area. Plans call for the contractor to work seven days a week during day and nighttime hours, officials said.
During the closure, the Ventura County Transportation Commission is offering a free emergency shuttle service to help residents get between Ojai and Santa Paula. More information on the schedule and locations is available at vcemergency.com/sr-150-landslide-information.
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: Repairs to start on Highway 150 closed since February landslide
