Scenic throughway to muddy abyss: Large section of coastal Los Angeles roadway slides into the ocean


A large rainstorm in San Pedro caused an enormous stretch of coastal road to collapse into the Pacific Ocean Sunday, and left a gaping hole where the road once was.

The thoroughfare, located along an 800-foot section of Paseo del Mar in San Pedro, had been closed to traffic for several months as the road sunk and shifted. Signs also served as a warning to residents to stay away from the unstable section.

Peter Sanders, spokesman for Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, says the road is likely irreparable, and that plans for a new roadway must now be considered.

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Washed out: A rainstorm collapsed a large section of a coastal bluff road in San Pedro on Sunday

Though no one was injured, Los Angeles City Attorney Carmen Trutanich told The Daily Breeze that was ‘just luck.’

‘It’s bad. We’re lucky no one got hurt,’ Mr Trutanich said.

No homes were directly in the path of the San Pedro landslide, but other officials echo Mr Trutanich’s sentiments.

Rep Janice Hahn told NBC Los Angeles: ‘It is devastating. I’m worried about these homes. They’re front row on the ocean.’

A local resident agreed. ‘My greatest concern is that all these homes are going to end up in the water, and that we’re going to be separated like our own little island.’

Swept away: A Los Angeles official says the stretch of road that collapsed is likely irreparable and a new route for the scenic roadway will have to be considered

Knowing the enormous landslide may be a temptation to adventure seekers and the insatiably curious, Mr Trutanich has assigned the Los Angeles Police Department to patrol the area overnight.

‘Because this is such a new thing, there are going to be a lot of looky-loos out here,’ he told one worker.

An 8-foot chain link fence was installed around the most dangerous parts of the landslide. Visitors and residents of the area came out in the pouring rain to observe the sight.

‘Wow,’ one said, looking at the cliff that now boasts a gaping hole. ‘This is so weird.’

Closed off: The section of Paseo del Mar in San Pedro had been closed to traffic for several months before the collapse, as engineers thought it too unstable

Mind the gap: The chasm is more than 800 feet across. Bits of the road fell into the landslide, and other chunks crumbled into the ocean

Not so scenic now: Paseo del Mar, south of Los Angeles in San Pedro, used to be a favourite recreation spot for nearby residents to walk their dogs and cycle

The landslide began late this summer at a very gradual pace.



At the beginning of November, the road was moving at a rate of about half an inch a day, according to geologists.



Then fissures began appearing more frequently, and the road started to buckle.

Engineers now say the landslide is moving nearly four inches a day – vertically and horizontally - widening the fissures and dropping chunks of roadway and dirt into the ocean.

Before: Paseo del Mar curved around the peninsula and was surrounded by foliage. Some engineers are worried the landslide might damage nearby houses

Prior to collapse: Paseo del Mar before the collapse proved to be a scenic drive along the coast

The road runs south of downtown Los Angeles along the coast of the Pacific Ocean, and served as a place for nearby residents to walk their dogs and cycle along the bluffs.

Mr Sanders says a geological firm has been hired to study the cause of the landslide, which will take around seven months to complete.

Some experts say that the continued popularity of building homes near the bluffs merely exacerbated the problem of landslides in the area.

Cause and effect: An engineering firm will conduct a seven-month study to search for the cause of the massive landslide

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