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Residents press Caltrans and county on canyon repair delays as supervisors move to push telecom undergrounding
Summary
Caltrans gave an update on storm‑related canyon closures and slow recovery work, citing procurement and funding delays for a second retaining wall and pipe; supervisors' office said the board passed a motion to ask the CPUC to press telecom companies to coordinate undergrounding with Southern California Edison.
Caltrans and county recovery staff on Wednesday described continuing storm response and recovery work on the canyon boulevard, and residents pressed officials for details about contractor selection, timelines and why repairs have taken months.
"We are waiting for procurement of the pipe," a Caltrans representative, Elizabeth, said when asked about the pause on the second retaining wall and installation of a seven‑foot pipe, and added that crews need material procurement and additional funding before certain phases can resume. She said geotechnical teams will assess conditions after expected rain and that closures will be coordinated with incident commanders if evacuation orders are issued.
Residents, including Kathy, asked for a detailed public outline of the emergency procurement process and contractor selection criteria, arguing that long pauses and apparent idle work have imposed substantial economic and safety costs on the community. Caltrans acknowledged the delays, pointed to material and funding constraints and said one wall is complete from an engineering perspective but still requires finishing work.
Separately, Dan, a field deputy in the supervisor's office, said the county board passed a motion instructing staff to file a complaint with the California Public Utilities Commission asking telecommunications companies to underground lines in coordination with Southern California Edison. "The supervisor offered a motion and it passed the board yesterday," Dan said, describing the intent to avoid repeated trenching and multiple shutdowns by coordinating undergrounding during current road work.
Residents urged that if undergrounding proceeds, telecoms be brought to the table quickly to avoid redundant trenches and repeated closures. County staff said they will publish responses to outstanding questions and that procurement and funding updates will be provided when available.
Next steps: Caltrans will notify the public of any further closures tied to geotechnical assessments or incident commander orders; county staff pledged to provide a detailed procurement/contracting process explanation requested by residents.
