Another Landslide in Moraga Canyon
– Moraga Avenue is reopened after debris removal. –
Shortly before noon on Friday morning, April 18, a landslide carried trees onto power lines and required the closure of Moraga Avenue at Maxwelton Road. By 8 p.m. Friday night, eight hours after the street blockage, the debris had been removed and the road had been reopened. PG&E, their tree contractor, Piedmont crews and a geotechnical engineer were involved in the effort to reopen the road and restore power to neighbors. The highly trafficked arterial is the major connection between Highway 13, Montclair, Piedmont and Grand Avenue. The cause of the slide remained uncertain, but it may have been the result of a leaky irrigation pipe.
CBS report
City of Piedmont report
Coincidentally, two years ago in mid-April another nearby landslide downed power lines and closed Moraga Avenue between the eastern city limit with Oakland and Maxwelton Road. Read about the April, 2012 Moraga Avenue landslide.
The continual erosion of Moraga Canyon MIGHT alert this city and its occupants, that this area of town would best be
left as a natural park, and not developed into recreational facilities. Other than removing dying trees, inappropriate trees, or other hazardous plants and planting new suitable trees for the area should be encouraged.