Land Movement On Laguna Niguel Road Prompts Local State Of Emergency

LAGUNA NIGUEL, CA — Additional land movement on a Laguna Niguel road prompted city officials to issue a local state of emergency.

According to a city statement, the movement was reported on La Paz Road and poses no immediate danger to the public. The emergency proclamation, the city said, was issued to ensure the safety of the public and to allow the city to better organize resources to address the issue.

The recent land movement was likely caused by the recent deluge of rainfall, officials said.

As an extra safety measure, the city will be closing two southbound lanes on La Paz Road — between Rancho Niguel Road and Kings Road — until further notice.

The northbound lanes on La Paz Road will also be reduced to one lane to allow traffic flow in both directions.

"The safety of our community is of the utmost importance. I want to assure you that we are taking proactive measure to ensure public safety and will continue to do so throughout this process," Laguna Niguel Mayor Kelly Jennings said. "Our goal is to keep our residents informed and safe every step of the way."

The city has been monitoring the movement on La Paz Road since Sept. 2021, when city officials made the decision to reduce the southbound lanes on La Paz Road to one lane, and to hold an engineering study and geotechnical analysis along that stretch of the road.

"This proclamation and road closure is a measure of precaution to ensure the safety of everyone who travels along La Paz," City Manager Tamara Latourneau said. "We understand this may cause some inconvenience to residents and commuters, but we want to assure everyone that we are working diligently to address the issue and provide a safe solution."

While the city monitors the movement on La Paz Road, officials are actively coordinating with various agencies to develop a long-term repair plan for the affected area.