Will The Snake, a winding portion of the Mulholland Highway, ever reopen to the public?
The 2.4-mile stretch of roadway nestled in the Santa Monica Mountains was given the nickname due to its many twists and turns.
Storm damage from the 2018 Woolsey Fire, particularly caused by mudslides, prompted officials to close that portion of the roadway from Kanan Road to Sierra Creek Road for the past four years.
Construction is expected to be completed next year, but now officials are debating whether it is safe to reopen The Snake, which is notorious for street racing and violent crashes, to the public, The East Bay Times reported.
“The problem is speed. The problem is speed on a roadway that is not built to go at the speeds that people do travel frequently … we’ve seen some horrific accidents due to that,” said Mark Pestrella, director of the county Department of Public Works.
Pestrella’s comments were made during a Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors meeting Tuesday.
The board met to discuss the controversial reopening and any traffic calming measures that could be taken to make the area safer.
Public Works has already installed rumble strips and reflective pavement markers to encourage drivers to travel slower and safer through the area, the Times report stated.
The County will also be working with the California Highway Patrol and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s street racing task force on the issues.
The board is expected to meet again in six months to make a final determination on whether to reopen The Snake to the public.
