SANTA MONICA—On Friday, May 23, portions of the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) reopened in time for Memorial Day Weekend. Reports indicate that two lanes are open in both directions with traffic only slowing to 25 m.p.h. Through construction zones.
California Transportation (CALTRANS) gave a breakdown of funding efforts for the rebuilding projects in the area.
“Among the many projects funded by the commission this month are $55.1 million in response to the devastating January wildfires in Los Angeles County and the strong Pacific storms that followed, battering charred hillsides and unleashing massive debris flows. Those include:
$30.6 million to replace a retaining wall and rebuild a slope drapery protection system near Big Rock Drive in Malibu and reconstruct hillsides above Pacific Coast Highway/State Route 1 (PCH/SR-1) near Mulholland Drive, all of which were impacted by the Palisades Fire and rainstorms.
$16.9 million to repair damaged state assets on PCH in the cities of Los Angeles, Santa Monica, and Malibu, including slopes, drainage systems, signs, retaining walls, guardrails, and additional measures to prevent debris flows and mudslides on PCH from Entrada Drive to Sweetwater Canyon Drive following the rainstorms.
$4.8 million to provide traffic control within the cities of Los Angeles, Santa Monica, and Malibu, where residents were forced to evacuate from the Palisades Fire.
$2.8 million to make repairs caused by the Franklin and Palisades fires near South Topanga Canyon, including new traffic signals, roadside signs, drainage systems, and erosion control.
Of the total statewide allocation this month, nearly $651 million came via Senate Bill (SB) 1, the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017, and approximately $536 million from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 (IIJA).
In District 7, that includes $150.9 million in SB 1 funds for 30 projects and $196.6 million in IIJA funds for six projects in Los Angeles and Ventura counties.” —California Department of Transportation.
Los Angeles Mayor Kren Bass made the following
“The reopening of Pacific Coast Highway marks an important step forward in our recovery effort in the Palisades, which is on track to be the fastest in state history. I thank Governor Newsom, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and partners at all levels of government for their partnership and collaboration as we work around the clock to get families home and businesses reopened.
As Pacific Coast Highway reopens, we will continue to protect the safety and security of Palisades neighborhoods through a strict security plan established in coordination with the State. All of us have a shared goal – to ensure residents can safely and quickly rebuild and return to their community. We will continue working together toward that goal and recommit to clearing any barrier that stands in the way of recovery.”
The following remarks came directly from a May 22 press release. The full text may be found on Governor Newsom’s webpage.
“In California, we get stuff done, period. We’re opening the PCH back up early, with more lanes before Angelenos hit the road this Memorial Day. We are able to do this thanks to the tireless work of hundreds of construction and road crews and with help from our partners at the Army Corps of Engineers.”
The highway has been shut down since early January due to the Pacific Palisades fires followed by storms, rain, mudslides, and debris.
