Topanga business owners and residents held a rally Sunday, demanding that officials reopen Topanga Canyon Boulevard after months of closure.
The boulevard has been closed since the fires in January and has sustained significant damage from the storms in February.
A lifeline for the Topanga, residents say the closure has caused major hardship for everyone in their community.
“All we have are small mom and pop shops in Topanga, and right now they are struggling greatly because there’s no traffic,” said Adam Roberts, who lives in Topanga.
The rain from Tuesday into Wednesday has brought mud and debris to Topanga Canyon Boulevard in Malibu. Lauren Coronado reports for the NBC4 News at 6 a.m. on Feb. 5, 2025.
The stretch of about 4 miles from Grand View Drive to PCH remains closed for safety reasons as they continue their extensive cleanup and repairs, according to Caltrans.
The agency says they plan to reopen the road as soon as it is safe and are working with the California Highway Patrol, utilities, and local public agencies to coordinate. So far, they’ve removed more than 8,600 cubic yards of mud and debris after the February storm.
While some Topanga residents understand the need for the closure, they’re hoping to get access to at least one lane.
“It’s a drain on our kids. For me to take my Pali High student to track practice, she and I spend three, four hours in the car. Just for track practice,” said Tamara Gould.
As of now, Caltrans has not set a date for reopening.
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