Moraga Avenue Reopened After Mudslide Knocked Trees in Power Line

Piedmont city officials say they reopened Moraga Avenue around 7:45 p.m. last night after a closure caused by a small landslide that knocked several trees into a power line.

[Relate article: Moraga Avenue Closed Due to Mudslide, Threatened Power Line]

The landslide from a private property on to Moraga Avenue and the resulting power line problems near Maxwelton Road forced the closure of a half-mile stretch of Moraga around 11 a.m. Friday, according to City Clerk John Tulloch.
 
The city worked with PG&E and a tree contractor to clear the lines and restore power, and city and contractor crews removed loose soil from the hillside and cleared the roadway, Tulloch said.
 
PG&E spokeswoman Tamar Sarkissian said the fallen trees caused a power outage in the area that started at 11:14 a.m. and affected 482 customers at its peak. No one was injured by the landslide and no houses were threatened, according to Piedmont police.
 
A police spokesman said the mudslide was "a much smaller situation" than a mudslide in the same general area two years ago, in April 2012, than forced Moraga Avenue to be closed for 35 hours.
 
Although it's in the same area, the mudslide today occurred on a different property than the mudslide two years ago, Tulloch said. The city will work with the property owner to stabilize the hillside, Tulloch said.
 
Tulloch said the landslide was not caused by water or sewer lines in the area. If the property owner is found to be responsible, the city will seek to recover the costs of the cleanup.

—By Bay City News