Pacific Coast Highway damaged by storms in Southern California

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 18 Oct, 15:07 · Archive

A section of California's Pacific Coast Highway has been washed out by recent storms, with crews now building protective barriers.

Recent storms have damaged California's Pacific Coast Highway, with crews now racing to repair the damage before an anticipated El Niño winter brings more severe weather. Caltrans announced that workers are constructing rock slope protection—massive rocks piled along the vulnerable shoreline—along Highway 1 at Thornhill Broome Beach in Malibu after storms washed out a section of the roadway. Excavators and bulldozers have been deployed to move earth and boulders as part of the work.

The agency describes rock slope protection as a common erosion-control method for providing long-term protection for transportation facilities and the travelling public. However, the pounding surf is already creating disruptions for drivers. The California Highway Patrol warned that high tides are impacting travel along the same stretch of Highway 1, where crews are working along the shoulder and traffic patterns have been adjusted to accommodate the conditions.

The Malibu repairs are part of broader efforts to protect Southern California's vulnerable coastline. The Daily Mail reports that a deep crack has appeared in the cliffside along the Pacific Coast Highway between El Morro Canyon and Irvine Cove in Orange County, farther south along the coast.

How it is being reported

• California's iconic Pacific Coast Highway teeters on the edge of falling into the sea after a terrifying crack appears in cliffside after stormThe deep crack was spotted along the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) between El Morro Canyon and Irvine Cove on Tuesday.Daily Mail · 18 Oct, 14:51
• Crews race to repair PCH after section of highway washed out by stormsHighway crews are racing to repair a section of the iconic Pacific Coast Highway that was washed out during the recent storms in Southern California, officials said.New York Post · 18 Oct, 01:35

In this story: Pacific Coast Highway · California · Malibu · Thornhill Broome Beach · Caltrans · California Highway Patrol · Orange County

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