A portion of La Brea Avenue in Baldwin Hills has been closed for more than a year after mudslides from the 2023 storm flooded parts of the Los Angeles area.
Meanwhile, the right side of the northbound road had become an empty space filled with large pieces of garbage and debris.
Residents in the area are wondering why it has taken so long to repair this section of the road.
Regina de Jesus, who lives in the area, said she drives through the area to get to work.
“The hours I travel on La Brea Street are busy and very congested. It used to be a little easier because La Brea Street had three lanes and worked really well,” she said, adding that things have now changed. “When the light turns green, there are no longer three lanes to travel on La Brea Street. The first lane was closed a long time ago.”
Just after passing the traffic light at Don Lorenzo Drive, one of the lanes begins directing drivers into the center lane. A few feet further in, we come to a barricade where the landslide occurred. The area has been cordoned off for weeks and is littered with trash.
The first time a lane was closed on La Brea Street was on March 15, 2023, when a landslide trapped at least two cars on that street and another debris flow caused wood and mud to tumble down the hillside below homes, blocking the road.
“People started putting trash in the empty space,” De Jesus said, “things like mattresses and chairs,” she added.
Who should fix La Brea Avenue?
Heavy rains over the past two years have caused damage in various parts of California. Other areas affected by the 2023 storm and even the early 2024 storm are Woodland Hills, Pacific Coast Highway, Chatsworth.
For example, Topanga Canyon Boulevard reopened on June 2, three months ahead of schedule, and Governor Gavin Newsom celebrated the opening.
But people who live or work near other affected roads are eagerly awaiting repairs to the roads.
La Brea Avenue is one of the roads that connects residents of South Los Angeles to other parts of the city, and landslides that hit the area in 2023 and 2024 not only caused mudslides that blocked roads but also affected homes in the hilly areas of the area.
The affected section of La Brea Avenue is located on the border between Los Angeles County and the City of Los Angeles.
Telemundo 52 Los Angeles reached out to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works, who responded in a statement, “We serve the unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County. The location referenced in your inquiry falls under the jurisdiction of the City of Los Angeles.”
Telemundo 52 has also reached out to the Los Angeles Department of Public Works, but has not yet received a response on when repairs will begin on the road or if it will remain closed indefinitely.
Meanwhile, residents are still waiting for answers.