Pacific Coast Highway, which has been largely off-limits to all but residents, first responders and cleanup crews since the Jan. 7 Palisades Fire, will reopen to all traffic at 8 a.m. tomorrow.
Gov. Gavin Newsom had previously announced that the roadway between Malibu and Santa Monica would be reopened by the end of May. Newsom hailed the Friday reopening as a major step forward in the fire-recovery effort.
“In California, we get stuff done, period,” Newsom said in a statement. “We’re opening the PCH back up early, with more lanes before Angelenos hit the road this Memorial Day. 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.”
Motorists on the highway are likely to still encounter a heavy security presence as authorities continue to restrict access into the Palisades Fire burn area. Mayor Karen Bass has instructed the Los Angeles Police Department to step up deployment of officers in the area, including staffing checkpoints around the clock. According to the mayor’s office, the number of checkpoints in the fire area will increase from five to 16 to restrict Palisades access to residents, business owners, employees and contractors.
A 25 mph speed limit will also remain in effect on PCH.
As far as the ocean water quality goes, public officials and experts say it should be safe, but point out that there are no health standards for bathing safety related to some of the chemicals that ran off into the ocean during the fires.
In a recent survey, Heal the Bay gave the waters off Malibu Surfrider north of the fire zone an A, while two beaches south — Topanga State Beach and Castlerock Beach — Ds.
Army Corps of Engineers crews have been prioritizing efforts to clear fire-damaged properties along PCH to hasten the reopening of the route, according to the governor’s office.
Motorists were advised to use caution while driving on PCH due to the continued presence of debris-clearance crews and other first responders. Drivers should anticipate significant delays on the popular route due to speed restrictions and traffic volumes.
City News Service contributed to this report.
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