| Part of |  CR N9 betweenUS 101 inAgoura Hills andSR 1 inMalibu |
|---|---|
| Namesake | Kanan family,Point Dume |
| Maintained by |
|
| Length | 19 mi (31 km) |
| North end | Westlake Boulevard inThousand Oaks |
| Major junctions |  US 101 inAgoura Hills |
| South end |  SR 1 inMalibu |
Kanan Road /Kanan Dume Road is a major mostly north–south road that runs for 19 miles (31 km), connecting theConejo Valley andU.S. Route 101 withCalifornia State Route 1 andMalibu inVentura andLos Angeles counties. It is used by 40,000 commuters per day.[1]
Kanan Road was named after the Kanan family, several of whom migrated fromNorth Dakota toHollywood in the 1940s, then acquired land inAgoura Hills in the 1950s.[2] Kanan Dume Road was named as such because it was intended to extend Kanan Road toPoint Dume.[3]
From the north, Kanan Road begins at Westlake Boulevard inThousand Oaks in easternVentura County, then travels west for 5 miles (8.0 km) before crossing intoLos Angeles County. The road then travels south, intersecting withU.S. Route 101 before entering theSanta Monica Mountains and rising to an elevation of 1,800 feet (550 m), where it intersects withMulholland Highway. South of Mullholland, Kanan Road becomes Kanan Dume Road and continues through the Santa Monica Mountains toCalifornia State Route 1 inMalibu.[4] The 12.5 miles (20.1 km) of Kanan and Kanan Dume Road between U.S. Route 101 and California State Route 1 are signedCounty Route N9.[5] The southern-most 3 miles (4.8 km) of Kanan Dume Road feature an eight percent grade, with the final 800 feet (240 m) also featuring a 2.5 feet (0.76 m) deep,gravel filled, middle lanerunaway truck ramp.[6]
Communities that Kanan and Kanan Dume Road travel through includeThousand Oaks andOak Park inVentura County andAgoura Hills andMalibu inLos Angeles County.[4] Kanan Road is aLos Angeles County Designated Disaster Route and is the primary evacuation route for much ofMalibu and 5000 additional residents in unincorporatedAgoura andCornell.[1]
Kanan Dume Road features three tunnels within theSanta Monica Mountains, named (from north to south) T-1, T-2, and T-3.[6]
Kanan Road was developed byLou and Mark Boyar in 1964 as a way to connect their new community developmentOak Park toU.S. Route 101 and theSanta Monica Mountains. Kanan Dume Road was completed in 1974, pushed through byAgoura Hills residents who wanted a quicker connection to the coast. Several congressmen includingBarry Goldwater Jr. opposed Kanan Dume Road, as they believed it would lead to indiscriminate use of theSanta Monica Mountains, which they wished to preserve. Their efforts led to the creation of theSanta Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, which prevented extensive development in the area despite Kanan Dume Road being built.[7]
After a series of crashes and resulting deaths, arunaway truck ramp was added to Kanan Dume Road's southern terminus in 1987. The maximum allowable weight for trucks was also dropped from 14,000 to 8,000 pounds that year.[6]
Notable landmarks on Kanan and Kanan Dume Road include (from south to north):Backbone Trail,Calamigos Ranch, Rocky Oaks Park, Mae Boyar Park, andOak Park Library.[4]
Schools on Kanan Road include (from southeast to northwest): Willow Elementary,Oak Park High, and Oak Hills Elementary.[4]
Star Wars characterKanan Jarrus, born Caleb Dume, was named after Kanan Dume Road.[8] Kanan Road was also referenced in the 1979 songMusic into Gold byJohn Stewart featuringStevie Nicks.[citation needed]
Films shot on Kanan and Kanan Dume Road includeHeaven Can Wait,Deep Impact,Poltergeist, andPhantasm.[7]