Landslide movement has caused the Mariposa Bridge to be closed once again, shutting off access along San Clemente’s popular coastal beach trail.
Public Works Director David Rebensdorf told the City Council Tuesday night a bluff failure pressing onto the bridge’s railings is from a private property above, impacting the ability to go north or south on the bridge along the northern end of the 2.3-mile pathway.
“It’s such a shame because so many people use this trail, to get out and be healthy and active,” said Shannon Mills, of San Clemente, among the many trail users Wednesday morning who had to stop short on her walk at the city’s chain-linked fence.
The city is coordinating with the property owner and working with geologists, Rebensdorf said. It has closed the bridge for safety reasons, he said.
“The structure is not designed to handle that kind of lateral loading,” he said. “Unfortunately, this is probably not a quick fix.”
The bridge was created knowing the nearby bluff erodes and designed so debris flows under it and to the beach. But when large amounts of dirt slip and pile up against the bridge, it can damage the structure, officials said.
The bridge closed in December for several days due to a landslide in the same area.
The city is still working with its engineering team, and officials said there will likely need to be some slope remediation and a portion of the bridge will need to be replaced – a process that will likely need to go through the California Coastal Commission, which can be a lengthy process.
‘I don’t have a timeframe yet,” Rebensdorf said.
With several hillside slope failures in the past year along the city’s coast line, Councilmember Steve Knoblock asked what kind of proactive steps residents can take to lessen the risk of landslides.
There are quarterly leak detections done on city water lines and staffers also monitor water use to lower the amount of water in the soil, officials said.
Suggestions included residents lessening their own water use on landscaping. They should also be mindful of cracks in their asphalt.
Among the landslides in the last year-plus, ones in the south end of the city caused the rail line to be closed for months because of track damage. Another a year ago in North Beach caused apartment buildings to be temporarily red tagged.
A slide at the historic Casa Romantica prompted emergency repairs by the city and the Orange County Transportation Authority, which cost the city $8.5 million – money that had been earmarked for a $10 million upgrade to the Mariposa Bridge, officials said.
The trail bridge has been closed in the past; the longest stint was in 2019 when a larger landslide damaged the wooden structure. The pathway was closed then for seven months for repairs.
The beach path was created in 2007 and is a popular destination for walkers, joggers and bikers – it stretches from North Beach to Calafia State Beach, offering an ocean view up to the Dana Point headlands and down to the San Clemente Pier and beyond.
