By SDCN Staff
Los Angeles, CA–Governor Gavin Newsom Saturday announced an all-hands-on-deck effort to support businesses and tourism by expediting fire cleanup efforts so that State Route 1, the Pacific Coast Highway, will reopen to public travel by the end of May – well ahead of experts’ original predictions.
The Pacific Coast Highway is a major artery that serves hundreds of thousands of Angelenos and visitors from around the world daily and is crucial to connecting Los Angeles with Pacific Palisades, Malibu, and points north. Currently, PCH is only open to residents who live in the Palisades Fire burn area, essential businesses, and repair crews. Following the reopening, one lane in each direction would be available for public travel.
With the busy summer months along the coast fast approaching, the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services and Caltrans will effectuate the reopening by working closely with the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to prioritize the cleanup of parcels along PCH by surging additional crews into the area so that these parcels can be cleared of debris quickly.
Crews will work around the clock – 24/7 – to demolish the damaged and collapsed homes, remove toxic ash and soot, repair the roadways, and install new utility equipment.
“We understand how essential this route is for daily life and local businesses. Reopening PCH is a top priority, and we are going all-in to get this done,” Governor Gavin Newsom said.
There are currently more than 100 USACE crews (consisting of excavators, metal crushing equipment, and dump trucks) working on Palisades Fire parcels. All equipment and dump trucks utilize PCH as a path of travel for the haul routes. Currently, USACE is removing nearly 1,284 truckloads of debris per day.
Once their work is complete, PCH will safely reopen to the public with one lane in each direction.
Once the highway is reopened, security checkpoints in place on the north and south ends of closure will be removed, but a law enforcement presence from state and local agencies will remain.
