PCH Closed Indefinitely, Storm Expected To Bring More Mudslides This Week

MALIBU, CA — A portion of Pacific Coast Highway will remain closed indefinitely as cleanup of mudslides from last week's rain continues and the area braces for another round of potentially dangerous precipitation.

PCH will be closed between Chautauqua Boulevard in Pacific Palisades to Carbon Beach Terrace in Malibu until officials deem the stretch of road safe for travel. The stretch will be open only to essential workers, city officials said.

Palisades residents with access passes will be allowed into their neighborhoods via Chautauqua Boulevard.

The closure has forced Malibu school students, parents and staff to endure what district officials called "multi-hour drives."

Following the Palisades Fire, last week's rainstorms led to debris flows. That included what city officials called "a significant slide" north of Big Rock Drive. "A geotechnical assessment observed slippage along the hill below Porto Marina Way," officials said.

Crews will place steel plates to protect the slope along Porto Marina Way, remove debris from the road and place k-rails along the highway.

The closure comes as the region is bracing for another round of rain this week that forecasters expect to produce more severe landslides.

The storm is expected to arrive Wednesday and continue through Friday and forecasters have a "very high confidence that widespread rain will affect the entire area for about a 36 hour period," according to the National Weather Service.

"People in or near to recent burn areas will need to by hyper vigilant of weather conditions during this time frame," the NWS said.

The NWS predicted a 50% chance that 1 to 2 inches will fall along the coasts and valleys, with 2 to 4 inches in the mountains and foothills.

"Caltrans aims to allow people to return to their properties as soon as it is safely possible to continue their work on slope restoration and property repairs that allow for safe rebuilding," officials said.