A section of Cathedral Oaks Road near Winchester Canyon is closed and a detour is now in place, after cracks were seen in a major support wall.
Officials with the city of Goleta say they see a bulge in wall as well.
The problems are believed to be linked to the recent series of storms that visited the South Coast.
A repair plan will involve an assessment by engineers to ensure that the wall and the roadway are stable.
It's unknown how long all the repairs will take.