Fairfax-Bolinas Road Remains Closed In Marin County

MARIN COUNTY, CA – With more rain headed to the North Bay, a six-mile stretch of Fairfax-Bolinas Road will remain closed, Marin County officials announced.

The section of the rural two-lane artery near Fairfax has been closed since early January. The full 12.3 miles of roadway was originally closed Jan. 6 as a precaution for the first round of storms that hit Marin County on Jan. 7-8.

The county's Public Works crews have cleared debris and hazards on the road more than a dozen times since the first storm swept through the region. On one occasion, crews used a crane to remove a 130-foot-tall pine tree that blocked the roadway.

“Due to continuing rains, the fully-saturated ground has resulted in persistent rock-fall, mudslides and downed trees along this specific section of road,” said Ernest Klock, the department's principal civil engineer. “We realize this is a popular area, but it’s safest to leave it closed until things stabilize out there.”

With a series of storms expected to hit the North Bay starting Wednesday night, officials said the risk of falling trees and landslides along the roadway pose significant safety hazards to people.

The closed section of the roadway is from Azalea Hill Trailhead, which is about three miles southwest of downtown Fairfax, to Ridgecrest Boulevard in the hills above Stinson Beach. The closure includes access to the Cataract Falls trailhead on the southern end of Alpine Lake.

The road will be closed until further notice. County officials said geotechnical engineers will continue to regularly check the road's stability and will notify the public as soon as the area is once again safe.

Photo: Roadside erosion on Fairfax-Bolinas Road, such as this section shown last summer, has continued during recent storms and remains a threat as new fronts move in. / Photo courtesy of Marin County