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The views expressed herein are the personal views of each individual author or commenter and are not intended to reflect the views of The Ojai Post or its Authors, Tribal Core or Tyler Suchman as managing editor.

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Stop the Trucks: Collapse of Route 33

Collapse (Troy Harvey Special to the Star).jpg
(Photo by Troy Harvey/Special to the VC Star)

In this Sunday's edition of the Ventura County Star, we see barracades divert traffic around a section of Maricopa Highway - Route 33 - about 10 miles north of Ojai that has collapsed into the North Fork of Matilija Creek.

http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2008/feb/24/portion-of-hwy-33-still-closed-to-traffic/

Only residents and emergency personnnel are allowed to use northbound lanes. For all other vehicles, the CHP expects a long-term closure of the highway between Lockwood Valley to the north, where most of the gravel mines in dispute are located, and Matilija Road and the Ojai Valley to the south.

This is the same roadway that had been declared "safe" in recent years by various private, county and state officials in the preparation of Enviromental Impact Reports (EIR's) and other related documents that support the use of Maricopa Highway as an industrial gravel truck route.

If any one has additional photos of the collapse, please forward them to "Stop the Trucks" at:
Smythe@ojai.net

Posted by Howard Smith on February 24, 2008 07:59 AM | | | Stop the Trucks: Collapse of Route 33

Comments (2)

I'm not surprised. I used to live at Wheeler Hot Springs, where that photo is taken, and many years ago I reported to Caltrans that the bed under that section of road was eaten away. From the creek below you could peer into a small cavern under the highway.

Comment #1 Posted by: Lanny | February 24, 2008 05:06 PM

Initial reports of a "bridge collapse" as published over the weekend in the Ventura County Star seem to be somewhat misleading. Upon visual inspection and conversations with Caltrans, an embankment and guard rail appear to have been severely undermined by the river just north of "The Wheel." The southbound lane is closed as its shoulder and the guard rail are gone along with some of the roadway. These materials appear to have fallen into the river.

We expect to have more information in the next few days from the local Caltrans office and will post it at that time.

Comment #2 Posted by: hjs | February 25, 2008 06:47 PM

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