Emergency Bluff Repairs Will Close Santa Monica Freeway

SANTA MONICA, CA — Land instability identified in a portion of the Santa Monica Bluffs prompted major freeway closures to proactively address the issue, city officials announced.

Portions of the westbound Interstate 10 freeway, northbound Pacific Coast Highway and the northbound Moomat Ahiko Way on-ramp will be closed while crews work in the area.

"Crews will use a large crane with clamshell attachment to remove the top portion of the unstable bluff and slowly break it apart for hauling off-site," city officials said in a statement.

Officials announced Friday that there was a large crack in the bluffs located just above the PCH between the California Incline and Moomat Ahiko Way. To ensure safety and prevent potential emergency situations, officials decided to remove the cracked portion.

The schedule of closures is as follows:

• The northbound Moomat Ahiko Way on-ramp to the PCH will close beginning at 11:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 25;
• The westbound Santa Monica Freeway at Lincoln Boulevard through the northbound PCH to the California Incline will close beginning at 2 a.m. on Wednesday, July 26.

Officials said routes ate expected to reopen by 12 p.m. on Wednesday with detours in place while the affected areas are out of service.

The Lincoln Boulevard offramp to the eastbound Santa Monica Freeway will remain open as well as the California Incline, southbound PCH and eastbound I-10.

Traffic from the I-10 Freeway will be detoured at the Lincoln Boulevard offramp and rerouted using Wilshire Boulevard/Santa Monica Boulevards, Ocean Avenue and the California Incline.