Los Angeles County N9 (Kanan Rd. and Kanan Dume Rd.)

[M3100]

This county road is in western LA County, this sequence of pics is from north to south.  This highway connects US 101 at 'Malibu Junction' in Agoura Hills and ends at California SR 1 (Pacific Coast Hwy) in the Point Dume region of Malibu. (Older Gousha map and Thomas Guide referred to the south end point region as Malibu Riviera).

This sign is just south of the US 101 junction. Beach areas are closed as a COVID-19 precaution.


There are three tunnels on this route, all well maintained.  The tunnel numbers (3 - 2 - 1) are posted in the center between the portals.






The highway ends with a T-intersection at SR1.   There is a gravel median designated as a runaway truck lane (no picture).

[mrsman]

It is a bit interesting how certain routes get state maintenance and others are maintainted by county.  I always felt that Kanan-Dume is a far gentler and less curvy canyon road than CA-23.  To the extent that people have a choice, they should use Kanan over CA-23 when driving between 101 and CA-1.

[Normally a state highway designation denotes a higher quality road, but it is not true in this instance.]

[M3100]

I always felt that Kanan-Dume is a far gentler and less curvy canyon road than CA-23. 
[Normally a state highway designation denotes a higher quality road, but it is not true in this instance.]

Yes, I drove CA-23 after this; I had not checked out the Decker Canyon segment of 23 prior to this exploration trip.  N9 is a much easier/faster route.

[Max Rockatansky]

It doesn't hurt those tunnels on Kanan-Dume flatten the grade out significantly.  CA 23 has the disadvantage that it essentially is the same grade adopted by the State circa 1933.  The climb out of the coast via Decker Canyon on CA 23 is quite the incline. 

[Road Hog]

I drove over Kanan the last time I visited SoCal (and before I even knew it was a song lyric). I wish I had gotten pictures.

[cahwyguy]

It is a bit interesting how certain routes get state maintenance and others are maintainted by county.  I always felt that Kanan-Dume is a far gentler and less curvy canyon road than CA-23.  To the extent that people have a choice, they should use Kanan over CA-23 when driving between 101 and CA-1.

[Normally a state highway designation denotes a higher quality road, but it is not true in this instance.]

There's a simple reason for this. In this case, the routing for Decker (Route 23) was adopted first. It cost so much to maintain, the County won't take it back. On the other hand, given the County is already paying to maintain both Kanan and Malibu Canyon, the state doesn't see any need to pay to maintain them (especially as they are costly to maintain due to fires and slides).

[mrsman]

It is a bit interesting how certain routes get state maintenance and others are maintainted by county.  I always felt that Kanan-Dume is a far gentler and less curvy canyon road than CA-23.  To the extent that people have a choice, they should use Kanan over CA-23 when driving between 101 and CA-1.

[Normally a state highway designation denotes a higher quality road, but it is not true in this instance.]

There's a simple reason for this. In this case, the routing for Decker (Route 23) was adopted first. It cost so much to maintain, the County won't take it back. On the other hand, given the County is already paying to maintain both Kanan and Malibu Canyon, the state doesn't see any need to pay to maintain them (especially as they are costly to maintain due to fires and slides).

Well at least I can be glad that N9 is signed at all.  A signed route of any kind does be provide a certain precedence and does designate a more important routing. I wish there were more signed county highways in California.

Nexus 5X

[sparker]

It is a bit interesting how certain routes get state maintenance and others are maintainted by county.  I always felt that Kanan-Dume is a far gentler and less curvy canyon road than CA-23.  To the extent that people have a choice, they should use Kanan over CA-23 when driving between 101 and CA-1.

[Normally a state highway designation denotes a higher quality road, but it is not true in this instance.]

There's a simple reason for this. In this case, the routing for Decker (Route 23) was adopted first. It cost so much to maintain, the County won't take it back. On the other hand, given the County is already paying to maintain both Kanan and Malibu Canyon, the state doesn't see any need to pay to maintain them (especially as they are costly to maintain due to fires and slides).

Well at least I can be glad that N9 is signed at all.  A signed route of any kind does be provide a certain precedence and does designate a more important routing. I wish there were more signed county highways in California.

Nexus 5X

CA county highway signing has been hit-and-miss since its inception around 1960; some areas (typically north of mid-state) have been reasonably good about signing and maintaining their routes; but one of the more extensively signed in the '70's and '80's, Tulare County, did an about-face and either removed or just failed to maintain signage on most of its previously signed routes.  And L.A. County's approach is just plain weird -- some, like N9 and N7 in Palos Verdes are signed as per standard (alphanumeric+number) practice, while others -- like "former" N8 in the east part of the county, are now signed just as a pentagon with the number "8" centered within (although the last time I was in the area there were some "straggler" N8 shields up in Hacienda Heights).  But any signage agreement has always been county-by-county; given the dire financial straits some counties are finding themselves in, I wouldn't be at all surprised to see some signage simply fade away or disappear in the near term just to pinch a penny here and there (quite possibly the reason for the Tulare County policy).

[jdbx]

One of the things that always struck me as unusual about Kanan Road is the fact that it has streetlights along the entire length through the canyon. I'm not sure I have seen any other place where a 2 lane road through an undeveloped area is lit like that.

[mrsman]

One of the things that always struck me as unusual about Kanan Road is the fact that it has streetlights along the entire length through the canyon. I'm not sure I have seen any other place where a 2 lane road through an undeveloped area is lit like that.

Another aspect that improves the safety of this road.  It really does feel more like a semi-expressway (like La Brea Ave through Baldwin Hills) then a twisty canyon.

[sparker]

One of the things that always struck me as unusual about Kanan Road is the fact that it has streetlights along the entire length through the canyon. I'm not sure I have seen any other place where a 2 lane road through an undeveloped area is lit like that.

Another aspect that improves the safety of this road.  It really does feel more like a semi-expressway (like La Brea Ave through Baldwin Hills) then a twisty canyon.

Since the original CA 64 alignment -- never formally adopted -- dipped south across the Santa Monicas to Malibu more or less along Malibu Canyon but is now functionally a dead issue for multiple reasons, Kanan-Dume has for all intents and purposes assumed the function of the most efficient conduit from US 101 (and the San Fernando Valley by extension) to the coast.  Malibu Canyon Road is too packed with development, mostly residential, to readily expand, while the two state highways (23 & 27) also connecting the Malibu area with inland points are themselves hardly efficient at their task.  So if one wants to get between the coast and 101 with any semblance of speed, Kanan-Dume is it -- and has been for over 50 years.  Fortunately the county had the foresight to build it out to a reasonable standard to begin with!

[Occidental Tourist]

One of the things that always struck me as unusual about Kanan Road is the fact that it has streetlights along the entire length through the canyon. I'm not sure I have seen any other place where a 2 lane road through an undeveloped area is lit like that.

Another aspect that improves the safety of this road.  It really does feel more like a semi-expressway (like La Brea Ave through Baldwin Hills) then a twisty canyon.

Since the original CA 64 alignment -- never formally adopted -- dipped south across the Santa Monicas to Malibu more or less along Malibu Canyon but is now functionally a dead issue for multiple reasons, Kanan-Dume has for all intents and purposes assumed the function of the most efficient conduit from US 101 (and the San Fernando Valley by extension) to the coast.  Malibu Canyon Road is too packed with development, mostly residential, to readily expand, while the two state highways (23 & 27) also connecting the Malibu area with inland points are themselves hardly efficient at their task.  So if one wants to get between the coast and 101 with any semblance of speed, Kanan-Dume is it -- and has been for over 50 years.  Fortunately the county had the foresight to build it out to a reasonable standard to begin with!

When I used to live in Calabasas, I'd take Malibu Canyon between Malibu and the Valley all the time.  There was very little traffic on it.  Most of the traffic from beachgoers seemed to be on PCH itself, and most of it was closer to Topanga Canyon Road and the Getty Villa, not up near the Colony.