A section of Mulholland Drive known as The Snake, famous for its numerous twists and turns, may or may not reopen to the public, sparking debate among officials. The 2.4-mile stretch of roadway in the Santa Monica Mountains has been closed for the past four years due to storm damage from the 2018 Woolsey Fire.
However, concern about its reopening isn’t merely related to the repair of the fire and subsequent mudslide damage. The Snake is infamous for street racing and violent crashes. As such, officials are questioning its safety for reopening, according to The East Bay Times.
“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,” stated Mark Pestrella, director of the county Department of Public Works during a Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors meeting.
The board met to explore feasible traffic calming measures that could be implemented to enhance the area’s safety. So far, Public Works has installed rumble strips and reflective pavement markers to encourage slower and safer driving through the area.
Additionally, the County is collaborating with the California Highway Patrol and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s street racing task force to address the issues.
The board is expected to convene again in six months to decide whether to reopen The Snake to the public. This situation highlights the ongoing challenge of balancing public access with safety on unique and potentially hazardous stretches of road.