California transportation officials are scrambling to shore up a storm-damaged section of Pacific Coast Highway north of Malibu before more rain arrives Feb. 18, forcing the state to indefinitely close the roadway nightly in both directions.
The closures will allow state Department of Transportation (Caltrans) workers to install concrete barriers and move lanes away from the freeway’s eroded ocean side, while the California Department of Transportation comes up with a more permanent fix.
“We had a series of atmospheric river storms that were very powerful beginning last weekend, and there were very strong winds,” Mr. Medina told The Epoch Times. “It kind of propelled the [tidal] surge higher than normal, which washed out the slope that supports the roadway.”
Caltrans started repairs Feb. 14 and will close the stretch of roadway temporarily from 6 p.m. to 7 a.m. daily. This will give workers time to bolster the damaged slope temporarily and move lanes closer to the mountainside, Mr. Medina said.
Transportation officials are concerned about the collapsed slope, which remains exposed to surf during high tides and vulnerable to more damage from the next storm.
“They’re monitoring it daily,” Mr. Medina said.
Although the next system won’t be as destructive, the National Weather Service expects it to dump one to two inches of rain on the already saturated region.
The agency hasn’t determined how long the closure will last, Mr. Medina said.
About 8,800 drivers use the damaged section of highway each day between Sycamore Cove Beach and the Naval Air Station at Point Mugu to commute or to visit the coastal town favored by celebrities and other famous residents, according to the transportation department.
A state inspector will assess the damage each morning and determine when it’s safe to reopen the road, authorities said.
Caltrans plans to install cement barriers on the roadway this week to block off the lane closest to the ocean and shift traffic closer to the mountain, providing two lanes in both directions each morning during the work, according to agency officials.
