A research investigation was conducted of earth movements resulting from a deep highway cut in the Ridge Route shale formation (located 40 miles north of Los Angeles). Subsurface benchmarks and extensometers were used to measure vertical and horizontal rebound of the bottom and sides of the cut. Laboratory and field tests were run on material sampled to determine values of elastic moduli. Estimates of rebound using the Westergaard model were compared with measured rebound. Results were inconclusive due to problems in establishing boundary conditions for determining analysis of an infinite elastic system.