Caltrans has secured millions in emergency funding to fix a large crack that has developed in the slope below Pacific Coast Highway near Laguna Beach.
The crack near the Moro Beach section of Crystal Cove is estimated to be 360 feet long and 2 feet wide. It was first spotted earlier this month after high tides and waves smashed into the slope.
As of Tuesday, Caltrans had secured $4 million in emergency funding to fix the crack and was expecting approval from California State Parks and the California Coastal Commission to close both southbound lanes of PCH and convert one of the northbound lanes into a southbound lane, according to Caltrans spokesperson Christianne Smith.
Currently, the right lane of southbound PCH — closest to the slope — is closed from Reef Point Drive to Irvine Cove Drive, according to Smith.
Caltrans isn’t concerned about any other areas along Pacific Coast Highway, according to Smith.
“We’re primarily focused on the Moro Beach slope near Crystal Cove, where the crack formed,” she added.
Caltrans has already installed plastic sheeting over the crack to stop rainwater from entering the slope ahead of expected storms, according to a Caltrans statement. The second phase started Tuesday as crews began reinforcing the slope by buttressing it at the base and armoring it with rocks to hinder slope movement and erosion.
The third phrase involves working with California State Parks to “develop a long-term stabilization approach to ensure roadway protection by drawing on geotechnical data and lessons learned from similar emergency repairs,” according to the Caltrans statement.
A timeline for completion of the entire project has not been disclosed. It’s also unclear if the project will require more funding.
Southern California is facing coastal erosion driven by a powerful “super” El Niño winter season, resulting in collapsed sea bluffs, beaches that have been stripped away, and damaged homes and infrastructure along the coast. The El Niño has also affected transit, temporarily shutting down the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner along the San Clemente coastline last month during high tides.
Caltrans has advised that motorists follow signs and traffic controls, as well as allow for extra travel time through the affected area. Motorists should check the Caltrans QuickMap for the most recent traffic conditions.
Laguna Beach City Manager Dave Kiff and Laguna Beach Unified School District Supt. Don Austin shared in a social media update that the PCH lane closure is near El Morro Elementary but that school buses are operating as usual.
“Obviously we have families not only at El Morro but others who depend on the buses to get to their sites who have concerns about what they’ve seen on the news,” Austin said in the update. “At this time, we’re still maintaining our transportation as normal. I can tell you for more than a week now we’ve been speaking internally, coming up with plans and thoughts about what would happen if we needed to reroute either immediately or with a couple days’ notice.”
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