A Rough Road Less Traveled Is Just Part of Life

They’ve endured mudslides, fires, car wrecks and now a huge sinkhole that’s shut down their main route to the outside world.

But when the going gets rough for residents who live off idyllic Santiago Canyon Road, they simply turn in the other direction--literally.

Heavy rains ruptured a storm drain pipe nearly 50 feet beneath the windy road, causing a large sinkhole earlier this week. The road, which is the primary artery connecting Silverado Canyon and Portola Hills with the rest of the county, is expected to be closed for repairs through Friday.

For residents of rural Orange County, this means a long detour down El Toro Road. The trouble and inconvenience is also the price they pay to live in paradise.

“We are used to it. The road gets closed at least once a month,” said Carolyn Slater, assistant director of the Silverado Children’s Center Preschool. “It’s just one of the privileges we get for living in the canyon.”

The sinkhole has widened into a 40-foot-wide by 40-foot-deep crater that cuts across two lanes and the shoulder. If the weather is cooperative, workers can make repairs and reopen the road on Friday, officials said.

The road is closed between Live Oak Canyon and Jamboree roads, with only local traffic admitted in and out of the area, officials said. The sinkhole occurred about half a mile west of Silverado Canyon Road.

“It’ll be Friday with luck if we do not get rains” tonight, said John W. Sibley of the county Public Facilities and Resource Department. “I am not going to order workers to go down into a 40-foot drainage ditch while it’s raining.”

On Wednesday, the sinkhole caused some minor delays for motorists.

Mission Viejo resident Catherine Rainey had planned to take the scenic route to Irvine Regional Park with her three children. But she was stopped at Live Oak Canyon Road, which is about half a mile south of Santiago Canyon Road, and had to go all the way back around to the San Diego Freeway to Jamboree Road.

But she and her friend Cindy Garamoni were nonplused by the detour.

“Today, it’s no biggie because we are just having fun,” said Rainey.

“We’ve been trying to get to this park all year,” said Garamoni. “It’ll be worth it once we get there.”

For motorcycle rider Joe Bairian, the road’s closure dampened his daily trip along the scenic road. So, instead of going up through the canyon into Orange, Bairian stopped for a bite to eat at Cook’s Corner on Live Oak Canyon Road.

“I’m gonna miss the ride, but I’ll probably just turn around,” he said.

Cook’s Corner owner Frank DeLuna was hoping for the best Wednesday, but braced himself for what would probably be a rough week.

“The bikers come here from Orange on Wednesday night for our $2 spaghetti night,” said DeLuna. “Every time they close this road, we get clobbered.”

But for most residents, it was just another day. Compared to the fires that raged through the canyon last fall, a sinkhole was nothing, some said.

“It’s no big deal,” said resident Lori Lamoureux. “Whether it’s a mudslide or a car wreck, I just go the other way.”

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Lorenza Munoz can be reached at (714) 966-5989. Her e-mail address is lorenza.munoz@latimes.com.