Nearly six miles of the nine mile closure on Pacific Coast Highway between Las Posas Road and Yerba Buena Road caused by mudslides in December are finally open for public access, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) announced today.
PCH is now open from Las Posas Road to the Sycamore Cove Day Use Area.
The public will now have access to trails and beaches in Point Mugu State Park.
The highway remains closed between the Sycamore Cove Day Use Area and Yerba Buena Road.
The damaged section of PCH is expected to be closed until the end of February.
Motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians will not be permitted access to southbound PCH beyond the Sycamore Cove Day Use Area or northbound PCH beyond Yerba Buena Road.
Motorists and cyclists must use alternate routes around the closure such as US 101, state highways and Los Angeles county roads that intersect with PCH.
Trespassers are subject to possible citation by law enforcement.
Due to high surf caused by storms in January, the slopes below the highway washed away requiring extensive repairs that will require the highway to be closed another month. No motorists, pedestrians or cyclists will be permitted access beyond the campground.
Ongoing Work
— At postmile marker (PM) 4.0 an area approximately 40 feet wide and 80 feet deep washed away on the beach side of the highway. Crews will place large boulders to secure the slope. A crane will sit in both lanes of the highway to complete this operation. Then geotechnical fabric will secure the hillside, and guardrail will be replaced. Caltrans worked with utility companies to move their utility lines to the other side of the road so that crews can begin repairs.
— At PM 4.2 (Big Sycamore) another slide has undermined the highway and will need to be stabilized and rebuilt. Caltrans is working with environmental regulatory agencies for the necessary environmental permits to initiate the work at this location.
Rain storms, debris slides, strong waves during December caused extensive damage along the highway in the Springs Fire Burn Area.
Completed Work
— At PM 6.3 (La Jolla Beach) 400 feet of the shoulder and slope has been rebuilt.
— At PM 7.2 scaling of the slope to remove loose debris and rocks has been completed.
— Mud from past storms has been removed from the roadway.
Union Engineering of Ventura, California was awarded this $7 million emergency contract. The state will be reimbursed for the costs of this project under the Federal Highway Administration’s Emergency Relief Fund.
Caltrans understands the inconvenience that motorists and businesses are facing while this closure is in place. Until the highway has been determined to be safe for motorists, the highway must remain closed.
Motorists should continue to consider alternate routes and visit quickmap.dot.ca.gov for traffic conditions.
