California to Reopen Pacific Coast Highway by End of May

Gov. Newsom announces plans to reopen historic highway before summer tourist season.

An aerial view of beachfront homes that burned in the Palisades Fire as wildfires caused damage and loss through the LA region in Malibu, Calif., on Jan. 15, 2025. Mario Tama/Getty Images

California governor Gavin Newsom announced on April 12 that the scenic Pacific Coast Highway, which runs through communities devastated by the Palisades Fire, will reopen by the end of May.

The opening is well ahead of the state’s original expectations.

“We understand how essential this route is for daily life and local businesses,” Newsom said in a statement on Saturday. “Reopening PCH is a top priority, and we are going all-in to get this done.”

Officials closed the coastal highway during the deadly and destructive fire that started on Jan. 7.

A section reopened a month later, but other sections remained closed to the public. The highway was only open to residents and agencies, who cleaned up toxic debris and other waste left behind after the flames destroyed more than 6,800 homes and buildings.

The highway connects Los Angeles with Pacific Palisades and Malibu and runs north all the way to Mendocino County. It serves hundreds of thousands of local residents and visitors from around the world daily.

Officials plan to open one lane in each direction for public travel during the state’s busy tourism season this summer.

“The key to reopening this iconic highway is to make sure we do it quickly but also safely,” the governor said in a video on Saturday.

Newsom’s office reported that the state is working with the California Department of Transportation (Cal Trans), local agencies, and the Army Corps of Engineers to prioritize the cleanup of parcels along the highway by surging more work crews to the area to clear debris.

Crews are working around the clock to demolish the fire-damaged and collapsed homes, remove toxic ash and soot, repair roadways, and install new utility equipment.

More than 100 Army Corps of Engineers crews are working in the fire zone using excavators, metal crushing equipment, and dump trucks. According to Newsom, the crews remove nearly 1,300 truckloads of debris per day.

“Once their work is complete, [the highway] will be able to safely reopen to the public with one lane in each direction,” the governor said in a statement.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (R) tours the downtown business district of Pacific Palisades as the Palisades Fire continues to burn in Los Angeles on Jan. 8, 2025. Eric Thayer/Getty Images

Some residents are being permitted to access their properties every day, but it will take longer for residents in some of the heavily impacted areas to return, according to Los Angeles County.

Malibu residents and fire zone properties have encountered hurdles and winter storms this year as they try to rebuild and recover from the devastating fire.

In Malibu, the community first experienced the Franklin Fire, which burned through neighborhoods in December 2024. The blaze destroyed 20 homes and buildings and damaged 28. A month later, the Palisades Fire destroyed historic restaurants and homes in the celebrity-filled city.