The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), in coordination with local partners, expanded access of State Route 1/Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) through the cities of Los Angeles, Santa Monica and Malibu to include only residents who live in the Palisades Fire burn area, essential businesses and school bus traffic. Traffic is restricted for safety reasons and to protect residents and workers.
Caltrans, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department (LASD), California Highway Patrol (CHP) and other city and state agencies will provide access to Palisades, Malibu and unincorporated Los Angeles County residents who live in the Palisades Fire burn area and require this route for travel.
School bus traffic, essential business owners and workers will also be allowed to access PCH. Access points will be in the same locations at Chautauqua Boulevard in Los Angeles and Carbon Beach Terrace in Malibu.
LASD is distributing burn area access passes for Malibu, Sunset Mesa, Topanga Canyon and unincorporated LA County residents and contractors hired by residents in the burn area only. Those can be picked up from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Malibu City Hall, 23825 Stuart Ranch Road, Malibu, starting Feb. 20. More information and restrictions can be found at malibucity.org. Pacific Palisades residents can continue to pick up access passes at the Disaster Recovery Center at 10850 Pico Blvd., Los Angeles, or the West LA Municipal Building at 1645 Corinth Ave., Los Angeles. These are distributed by the city of Los Angeles.
Caltrans is implementing traffic controls for the safety of motorists, repair crews and first responders.
The following restrictions on PCH will be in place:
• PCH is reduced to one lane each direction with a 25 mile per hour speed limit between Chautauqua Boulevard in Pacific Palisades and Carbon Beach Terrace in Malibu.
• All signalized intersections are on flashing red and should be treated as a four-way stop, even if the intersection is dark due to a power outage.
• There is no parking, no stopping and no pedestrians allowed in the work zone.
• Vehicles may not pass one another.
• There is one lane through the McClure Tunnel from westbound I-10 to northbound PCH, and one lane entering northbound PCH from the California Incline. These two lanes merge into one lane, potentially causing delays.
Closing the right lane in each direction allows safe access for utility workers, debris haulers and contractors who are working on wildfire and storm recovery efforts.
PCH remains closed to general traffic, and only essential travel is recommended. Visitors wishing to access Malibu may do so by using US 101 via Malibu Canyon Road, Kanan Dume Road or Las Virgenes Road.
As partner agencies work to remove fire and storm debris, there may be times where a hard closure is still necessary. Caltrans will give notice of these closures.
Caltrans reminds motorists that PCH is still an active work zone as crews help the county recover from the Palisades fire and subsequent storms and flooding. Traffic fines can be doubled in an active work zone. Motorists should use caution driving through the area and slow down for workers.
