On Friday, the storied coastal road had dissolved into a river of mud and debris after a powerful rainstorm sent those burned hillsides careening toward the ocean, turning canyons into rivers of mud and rocks.

The stretch of the highway along the Pacific Ocean between Santa Monica and Malibu reopened to regular traffic. Some local officials believe it is too soon.

The Pacific Coast Highway is back open in Malibu, California, nearly a month after the deadly Palisades Fire ripped through hillside Los Angeles neighborhoods, destroying properties all the way down to the beach.