8-month closure of Loma Alta Drive begins Tuesday
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Loma Alta Drive in Santa Barbara will be closed on Tuesday for as long as eight months following May's Loma Fire.
The roadway was originally scheduled to close Monday but was delayed one day due to other public works projects.
Loma Alta Drive sits below a charred hillside that was scorched by the Loma Fire which broke out during the night of May 20. The road will be closed as crews make repairs and install rails to prevent debris slides.
The closure will be located from Coronel Street to West Canon Perdido Street and will remain in place through May 2022.
The City of Santa Barbara says K-Rails will be put in place along the roadway to prevent debris slides as the rainy season approaches. The city is also is working with a consultant to analyze the impact rain could have on the hillside.
Multiple homes and businesses were evacuated when the fire sparked along Loma Alta Drive. The NewsChannel 3-12 studio was among the businesses forced to evacuate.
The Loma Fire burned about nine acres and 100% containment was reached the following week. 23-year-old Victor Hernandez was arrested the night the fire broke out and faces charges for arson. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The City of Santa Barbara Public Works Department is set to hold a community meeting for residents looking for information about the planning process and possible storm-related impacts near the Loma Fire burn area. That meeting will be held at McKinley Elementary School on Wednesday, November 3, at 7:30 p.m.
