PCH to fully reopen on Friday, ahead of Memorial Day weekend
For the first time since the Palisades Fire, the four lanes of Pacific Coast Highway linking coastal communities to the rest of Los Angeles County will be reopened on Friday ahead of Memorial Day weekend.
Since January, security checkpoints have limited traffic along PCH to local residents, businesses, first responders and construction crews. The closures restricted the number of visitors to Malibu and Pacific Palisades and decreased revenue for businesses attempting to survive the wildfire's aftermath.
"People need access to our community," Planning Commission chair Sklar Peak said in April. "Our businesses need visitors to come and support them."
After residents pleaded with officials in April, Gov. Gavin Newsom said the roadway would be reopened to the public by the end of May. On Thursday, the governor said the roadway will reopen to all drivers at 8 a.m. on Friday.
California Highway Patrol representatives said there will be a 25 mph speed limit imposed between Temescal Canyon Road in Pacific Palisades and Carbon Beach Terrace in Malibu. There will only be one lane opened through the McClure Tunnel in Santa Monica from westbound I-10 to northbound PCH.
According to the governor's office, Newsom ordered additional construction crews to enter the burned areas along the highway to accelerate the cleanup.
"We're opening the PCH back up early, with more lanes before Angelenos hit the roads this Memorial Day," Newsom said in a statement. "We are able to do this thanks to the tireless work of hundreds of construction and road crews and with help from our partners at the Army Corps of Engineers."
With the extra help, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers worked 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to demolish damaged homes, remove toxic debris, repair the roadway and install new utility equipment. Since April, crews have cleared 214 properties along PCH, according to Newsom's office and a "robust" security presence will remain in fire-affected neighborhoods following the highway reopening.
The Palisades Fire erupted on the morning of Jan. 7, leveling entire neighborhoods along LA County's coast and burning 23,448 acres. After destroying 6,837 structures, it became the third most destructive fire in state history. Twelve people died during the blaze, making it one of California's deadliest fires.
