Topanga Canyon Boulevard/State Route 27 Emergency Repairs
Last updated: Oct 1, 2025
STATUS
The 3.6-mile stretch of Topanga Canyon Boulevard/State Route 27 (SR-27) from Pacific Coast Highway to just south of Grand View Drive remains an active work zone. It is open to the traveling public from 5 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. daily, with the following traffic controls currently in place:
· One-way traffic control with a pilot car and arm barriers for almost half a mile just south of the community of Topanga
· 25 mph speed limit in active work zones
· Follow posted signs and traffic controllers
· Slow down and plan for stalled traffic
· STOP at traffic control arms
· No parking, no stopping and no pedestrians allowed in the work zone
This stretch of highway remains closed to the traveling public from midnight to 5 a.m. daily.
North of Caltrans’ emergency project work zone, Southern California Edison is working on trenching. It is operating one-way traffic control for about 2.4 miles between just north of Topanga Library to Happy Trail. Work hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Motorists should slow down and be alert for workers and stalled traffic, especially around blind s-curves in the canyon. Users should also expect major delays when traveling through the area and seek alternate routes whenever possible. This stretch of highway is not operating at normal capacity.
For weekly road and lane closures, please visit our Palisades Fire Emergency Repairs webpage.
PROJECT UPDATES
The total cost of SR-27 emergency repairs is at least $14.5 million, which is expected to increase.
Since January, completed work includes :
· Removing more than 35,000 cubic tons of mud and debris
· Replacing damaged roadside signs
· Repair eroded embankment/slopes at multiple locations
· Installing temporary K-rail to supplement areas with burned guardrail
· Installing debris flow barriers, a type of netting to catch mud and debris flow before it hits the highway and drainage culverts, at multiple locations
BENEFITS
Caltrans is taking the following measures to restore the highway from previous damage and reinforce it in future storms:
- Removing burned debris
- Restoring and repairing retaining walls
- Installing K-rail
- Replacing damaged guardrail
- Rebuilding damaged shoulder and lane
- Clearing drainage lines
- Restoring slopes
- Applying erosion control at affected slopes
BACKGROUND
This stretch of SR-27 was badly damaged from the Jan. 7, 2025, Palisades Fire and February and March winter storms. It closed to the public in January. Limited access to residents and those with passes began in April. It reopened to the public on May 23.
Crews began recovery and repair work on Jan. 13 between PCH and Circle Trail. Working with Cal Fire, West Region Maintenance crews cleared brush from SR-27 and delivered 27 loads of dirt to California State Parks for erosion control.
Crews cleared 33,000 cubic yards of mud and debris from the February mudslides. To date, all dirt has tested clean. This material has been hauled out to farms in Somis and is also being used to replenish state park land impacted by the fire and storms. The storm that came in on April 26 brought down more debris, but that has also been cleared.
Caltrans and its partners are working to restore Topanga Canyon Boulevard by building retaining walls in three locations (postmiles 2.363, 2.52 and 2.712) and rebuilding the shoulder and lane where the road was washed away. Caltrans is also installing debris flow barriers and larger culverts and clearing debris from nine locations where slides occurred. These improvements will help minimize the impacts of future debris/mudflows on SR-27 due to the extensive burn scars in the canyon.
Southern California Edison continues work undergrounding utility lines (watch: https://youtu.be/-f9eNIdb3QI). The Los Angeles County Department of Public Works also rerouted a water main connection that was exposed when the road washed away.
If you have any questions, please email Katy.Macek@dot.ca.gov.
Photos of Fire Burn Area
