Bouquet Canyon Road reopens Monday afternoon

FILE PHOTO: Bouquet Canyon Road. Katharine Lotze/The Signal
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After nearly a month-long closure, Bouquet Canyon Road reopened to Bouquet Creek residents and commuters Monday afternoon.

The full stretch of the road was inspected by officials Monday morning following the weekend’s rainstorm to ensure the road was safe for its afternoon opening, according to Steven Frasher, public information officer for the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works.

“We anticipate things will go ahead as intended for an early afternoon opening,” Frasher said.  “Things are looking good.”

Public Works provided real-time notices of the road’s opening on its website as information became available.

The road officially opened to drivers at 1:30 p.m. Monday.

“We appreciate the public’s patience in doing this in a safe manner,” Frasher said.

Frasher said the road will continue to stay open unless there is rainfall or a “condition where there is unacceptable water on the road.”

“We’re hoping that the road stays clear and dry and open,” he said.

Bouquet Canyon Road first closed Oct. 27 when Public Works officials closed the road’s gates in anticipation of rainfall they worried would flood Bouquet Creek and make the road unsafe.

The weekend closure briefly turned into a six-month closure, before residents expressed their frustrations and concerns with having limited access to their homes and businesses.

On Nov. 14, angered residents and Public Works officials gathered at a meeting in Leona Valley where officials announced plans to reopen the gates on dry days and close the gates when rain is forecasted or when water is on the road.

The move came after the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors sought assurance from Public Works officials that they would work to reopen the road.

Public Works officials said the area is prone to flooding due to buildup of silt on the road.  They have worked for three years to remove the silt, but cannot do so without a federal permit because the road is located on federal land owned by the U.S. Forest Service.

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