Commuters on Pacific Coast Highway in Santa Monica on Thursday began fighting what could be months of heavy traffic due to a lane closure stemming from a storm drain construction project.
One of the existing three lanes in each direction was eliminated Tuesday night, with the closure slated to continue through next year to accommodate the work, according to city of Los Angeles engineers.
The closures are in effect from the California Incline to Entrada Drive, near Chautauqua Boulevard. Construction will continue on a 24-hour basis to build an expanded sewer line to divert urban runoff from canyons to the Hyperion Treatment Plant.
The center turn lane will be converted to a southbound lane during morning rush hours, and the northbound lane during evening rush hours.
PCH is commonly used as a bypass to the Sepulveda Pass for traffic between Los Angeles and Ventura counties, and about 80,000 vehicles use that section of PCH daily.
Signs have been placed on the Ventura (101) Freeway and the Santa Monica (10) Freeway warning about the closures.
