Southern California drivers traveling along Pacific Coast Highway and Topanga Canyon Boulevard are set to encounter a series of lane closures starting this Sunday. Caltrans announced the work is part of ongoing recovery and repair efforts in areas previously damaged by the Palisades Fire. These closures will affect various sections of PCH between Temescal Canyon Road in Pacific Palisades and Carbon Beach Terrace in Malibu, and on Topanga Canyon Boulevard from PCH up to Grand View Drive.
Starting Sunday night, northbound PCH will be reduced to a single lane for approximately a mile near Las Flores Canyon Road, from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. Monday morning. Southern California Edison is undertaking this specific work. A similar northbound closure is also scheduled during these same hours near Big Rock Drive. For even more significant disruption, both northbound PCH lanes between Sunset Boulevard and Porto Marina Way will close each night from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m., Monday through Friday mornings, for shoulder work. During these overnight closures, Caltrans states that traffic in both directions will be funneled into the southbound lanes.
Daytime travelers won't be entirely spared either, with crews permitted to establish single-lane closures along PCH on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. One such instance may see southbound PCH narrowed to one lane between Pena Road and Tuna Canyon Road during these hours, as needed for retaining wall reconstruction. Near Las Flores Canyon Road, cleanup of Las Flores Creek and repairs to roadways, drainage, and slopes are also underway. The right-turn lane from PCH onto Rambla Pacifico Street will be closed during weekday work hours, though drivers can still make the turn from a through lane.
Topanga Canyon Boulevard, also known as State Route 27, faces its own set of closures. This Wednesday, intermittent one-lane traffic control is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. to allow trucks to move in and out of a temporary paving work zone; the speed limit through this area will be 15 mph. A more substantial closure is slated for late Friday: one-lane traffic control begins at 9 p.m. between PCH and Grand View Drive, leading to a full closure of that stretch of Topanga Canyon Boulevard from 11:59 p.m. Friday until 8 a.m. on Saturday, August 29. Separate overnight work on guardrails and shoulders will also cause one-lane traffic control between Cezanne Avenue and PCH from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., Monday through Friday nights.
Caltrans reminds motorists that these schedules are weather-permitting and could change. Drivers should anticipate delays and consider alternative routes during these construction hours, and keep in mind that fines are doubled in highway work zones. It seems the aftermath of the Palisades Fire is determined to keep making itself known on our local roads.
