A six-mile stretch of the Pacific Coast Highway north of Malibu will be closed indefinitely overnight due to storm damage that cut sections of the highway, officials said.
Strong winds, high waves and heavy rain hit Southern California last week, causing flooding and mudslides in several areas. The Malibu area not only faced wind and rain, but also waves that crashed into PCH, at times crossing the three-lane highway.
The abuse caused portions of the southbound lanes to collapse along the shoulder between mile markers 4.8 and 5.2. Chunks of pavement broke away on the beach as waves and rain eroded the soil beneath the road.
The overnight closure of the scenic route began Wednesday when Caltrans crews began installing K lanes along the southbound lanes and stabilizing portions of the highway eroded by high surf.
The road will close at 6pm each night and reopen around 7am the next day.
Caltrans officials are also concerned about another storm approaching Southern California that could cause more damage to roads.
The National Weather Service expects Los Angeles County to get drenched again this weekend, starting with light rain showers Saturday night and becoming heavier Sunday night and Monday. According to the service, the rains could continue until Wednesday morning.
It's still unclear how strong the approaching storm may be, said Ryan Kittell, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard.
Current forecasts predict that most of Los Angeles County will see between 2 and 4 inches of rain, he said.
Although the storm is expected to bring much less rain than last week's system, Kittell warned that the slopes are still soggy, meaning mudslides and debris flows are still very possible with just a little additional rain.
“It will take less rain than usual to produce more landslides and flooding simply because of how wet and saturated some areas are,” he said. “If you are in vulnerable areas that experienced landslides or rockslides, prepare for more.”
Caltrans announced it would close PCH nightly until further notice just north of Malibu, between Sycamore Canyon Road and Las Posas Road in Ventura County.
A Caltrans inspector will evaluate progress daily to determine when to open the road.
According to Caltrans, between 12,500 and 13,400 travelers drive the scenic route, which will be closed.
“The immediate priority is to make the highway safe for motorists and then work can begin on restoring the shoulder,” the agency said in a statement. “The duration is indeterminate.”
On Thursday, the highway opened to traffic at 6:43 a.m., said Caltrans spokesman Marc Bischoff.
Due to repair work and damage, crews will temporarily shift lanes closer to the inside side of the road to keep traffic flowing in both directions during the day.
