One of Southern California’s most prominent and popular roads will be closed nightly for an indeterminate amount of time.
The city of Malibu announced that all lanes of Pacific Coast Highway will be closed from 6 p.m. to at least 7 a.m. the next day “due to erosion of ocean side shoulder from high tides and storm damage, and more expected storms.”
Those closures, which affect the highway from Sycamore Canyon Road to Las Posas Road in Ventura County, will remain in place “until further notice,” the city said, adding that the reopenings each morning could also change based on high tides or storm conditions.
“Caltrans plans to install k-rails to block off the righthand ocean side lane and begin emergency steps to stabilize the collapsed slope,” officials said. “A Caltrans inspector must assess the damage each morning and determine when it’s safe to reopen.”
Once PCH does reopen each morning, it will likely be limited to two lanes in both directions, as “crews will shift lanes to the land side,” the release added.