Major Construction Closures Planned this Week for PCH

Traffic patterns on the Westside may change this week, as major construction closures are to go into effect on Pacific Coast Highway between Santa Monica and Malibu.

One lane of the existing three lanes in each direction is scheduled to be eliminated for a big storm drain construction project starting next week, City of Los Angeles engineers warned.

The closures will be in effect from California Incline to Entrada Drive, near Chautauqua Boulevard. Construction will get underway on a 24-hour basis to build an expanded sewer line, to divert urban runoff from canyons to the Hyperion Treatment Plant.

The center turn lane will be converted to a southbound lane during morning rush hours, and northbound lane during evening rush hours.

PCH is commonly used as a bypass to the Sepulveda Pass for traffic between Los Angeles and Ventura counties, and about 80,000 vehicles per day use this section of PCH daily. Signs have been placed on the Ventura (101) Freeway warning about the closures.

Past sewer projects on PCH caused traffic backups on the Santa Monica (10) and San Diego (405) freeways, and placed heavier burdens on the 405 through Sepulveda Pass.

--City News Service