Topanga Canyon closed to non-residents during wind event Play

Topanga Canyon Boulevard is being closed to everyone who doesn't live in the canyon because of the need to possibly evacuate 8,500 residents if a fire breaks out during the Santa Anas. According to Caltrans, L.A. County has asked them to close the boulevard to all traffic except canyon residents with canyon ID.

Last year, when the canyon road was flooded, hundreds of drivers went around the closure using Tuna Canyon Road and piled up at the stop sign on Pacific Coast Highway at Tuna Canyon. Caltrans had to install temporary traffic lights at the bottom of Tuna Canyon to sort out the dangerous situation. That temporary signal has been removed, and county officials say there's no plan to direct traffic at the bottom of Tuna Canyon Thursday morning.

Malibu residents will not be allowed through the roadblocks on Topanga Canyon Boulevard. Old Topanga Canyon Road will also be closed to non-residents. The closures do not include any of the backcountry roads over and through the Santa Monica Mountains that lead to and from Malibu.

Malibu will see extra traffic due to the closure, and on PCH, Malibu residents will have to deal with a big knot of traffic at the bottom of Topanga Canyon as cars line up trying to use the commuter route only to be denied.