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Workers Hurry To Stabilize Mt. Soledad Slide Area Before Rains Come

San Diego city crews are nearing completion of their work to stabilize the land slide area on Mount Soledad Mountain Road. They took the Thanksgiving weekend off, but this week they'll be working agai

Workers Hurry To Stabilize Mt. Soledad Slide Area Before Rains Come

San Diego city crews are nearing completion of their work to stabilize the land slide area on Mount Soledad Mountain Road. They took the Thanksgiving weekend off, but this week they'll be working against the clock to repair the slope before it rains again. KPBS reporter Alison St John has more.

City crews have installed 28 shear pins of steel and concrete in the slope below Soledad Mountain Road, to stabiles the area above the slide. They have another 9 pins to go. Geotechnical consultants have also drilled a 30 inch wide hole more than100 feet deep to collect data about what's going on underground.

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Spokeswoman Carol Drummond says city engineers have warned that if more rain falls, the ground could give way again, threatening homes below the slide area in Desert View Drive.

Drummond: Everywhere in the county people are probably hoping for rain because it's been so dry, but up on Mount Soledad Road we're really hoping it doesn't, because we feel that that might be a problem.

At least three of the red tagged homes and possibly four will have to be demolished to allow the slope to be re-graded next month. But Drummond says geologists are still gathering data to decide what to do after that to prevent further slides. Alison St John, KPBS news.