Two changes coming to intersection of Chautauqua and PCH in late April
Residents of Pacific Palisades can expect changes to the intersection of Chautauqua and Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) in late April, according to Tim Fremaux, Sr. Transportation Engineer for the City of Los Angeles, who spoke at the Pacific Palisades Community Council Zoom meeting held on March 23. The intersection has been a source of traffic congestion due to the two roads that feed into and off the six-lane PCH, as reported by Circling the News (CTN).
The City has received a permit from Caltrans, which controls PCH, to implement changes at the intersection. Two lanes on Chautauqua lead onto PCH, with the right lane allowing people to turn both west and east on PCH, and the left lane allowing only turns onto West Channel Road, CTN reports. Despite clear signage, many drivers ignore the lane markings, causing traffic to back up on Chautauqua.
To address this issue, the City is proposing a buffer barrier between the right and left lanes, preventing drivers from cutting into the right lane at the last minute, according to CTN.
CTN also reported the second change will be on PCH itself. Currently, drivers traveling west on PCH from Santa Monica towards Pacific Palisades and Malibu have two lanes from which to turn right onto Chautauqua or West Channel Road. In the second right-turn lane, drivers are allowed to go straight or turn. There will now be only one right-hand lane to make a turn while the other three will be only for travel on PCH.
According to the City, the work on Chautauqua and PCH would not take place during peak periods, and only one lane would be taken away at a time to minimize disruption.
