The city of Malibu is working with Caltrans and other state and regional partners to address worsening coastal erosion threatening Pacific Coast Highway in the Palisades Fire burn area, and it is urging faster action on permanent fixes.
While Caltrans has taken interim steps to protect the roadway, the city continues to press the agency to move quickly on permanent stabilization measures to protect public safety and critical infrastructure.
Immediately after the Palisades Fire, the city began investigating conditions along the PCH corridor, documenting active erosion, coordinating emergency protective measures and bringing together the agencies responsible for the roadway and the utilities beneath it.
"The City of Malibu and Caltrans have been working side-by-side to evaluate conditions and coordinate the next steps to protect public safety," City Manager Joe Irvin said. "While we appreciate that Caltrans has committed to important interim measures, the erosion continues to accelerate. Malibu is requesting immediate, coordinated action on a permanent stabilization strategy with a clear timeline before winter storms arrive."
Left unaddressed, the erosion will continue to remove the material supporting the roadway embankment, the city said. The onset of El Niño conditions this storm season significantly raises the likelihood of heavy rainfall, high surf and wave events that could compress months of expected erosion into a single storm cycle.
The city said it has taken several actions within its authority. It conducted joint field observations with Caltrans at all 16 red-tagged high-priority parcels posing immediate roadway risk and coordinated with Caltrans District 7, Los Angeles County Waterworks District No. 29 and SoCalGas to assess utility conditions.
The city also committed staff to monitor affected parcels and reach out to every high-priority property owner, provided support through the Rebuild Center for affected owners, and briefed the office of Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath and the Governor's Office of Los Angeles Recovery on PCH conditions, including coastal erosion.
For more information, visit malibucity.org/PCHErosionResponse.
Edited by SMDP Staff