Pacific Coast Highway fully reopens following Palisades Fire
Nearly a month after the devastating Palisades Fire broke out, Pacific Coast Highway has been reopened, but traffic won’t be back to a normal pace anytime soon.
PCH was originally scheduled to reopen on Sunday; however, due to concerns about crime in the newly opened areas, officials decided to postpone the reopening to Monday.
Access to the Palisades neighborhood will remain restricted to residents, authorized personnel and contractors only, but all of PCH itself between McClure Tunnel and Carbon Beach opened at 8 a.m. Monday. Only one lane in each direction is open, and drivers cannot go more than 25 miles per hour.
“Expect heavy congestion,” L.A. Mayor Karen Bass’ office advised. “This is an active construction zone with flashing red signals.”
There will be no parking on the affected stretch of PCH until further notice, Bass’ office added.
Law enforcement officials and the National Guard are stationed along the roadway and in affected neighborhoods to keep them safe. Curfews remain in effect.
While all Palisades Fire zones are open for residents, entry passes are required. As of Tuesday, they can be obtained at the Disaster Recovery Center in Westwood, located at 10850 Pico Boulevard from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.
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MALIBU, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 16: An aerial view of a beachside homes destroyed in the Palisades Fire along Pacific Coast Highway as wildfires cause damage and loss through the LA region on January 16, 2025 in Malibu, California. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images) -
Buildings and cars destroyed by the Palisades fire lay along the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, California, on January 8, 2025. (Photo by Zoë Meyers / AFP) (Photo by ZOE MEYERS/AFP via Getty Images) -
Malibu, CA – January 15: The remains of beachside homes that burned along Pacific Coast Highway during the Palisades Fire in Malibu, CA, on Wednesday, January 15, 2025. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images) -
Homes along Pacific Coast Highway are seen burn out from the Palisades Fire, Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025, in Malibu, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) -
A crew for Southern California Edison prepares the ground for electric poles along the Pacific Coast Highway near homes destroyed from the Palisades Fire in Malibu, Calif., Wednesday. Jan. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel) -
The remains of beachside homes that burned along Pacific Coast Highway during the Palisades Fire in Malibu on Jan. 15, 2025. (Getty Images)
Caltrans officials elaborated that there is only one lane through the McClure Tunnel from the westbound 10 Freeway to northbound PCH. Additionally, only one lane will be available for motorists entering northbound PCH from the California Incline in Santa Monica, which could potentially cause delays.
All signalized intersections are on flashing red lights, meaning drivers should treat it as a four-way stop. The same goes if the intersection is dark due to a power outage.
“There is no parking, no stopping and no pedestrians allowed in the work zone,” Caltrans said. “Please remember there may be slow vehicles moving in and out of the lanes.”
Law enforcement will be citing drivers, and traffic fines can be doubled in an active work zone, Caltrans officials added.
More information on the Palisades Fire re-entry zones can be found here.
The reopening of PCH comes days before two storms make their way into SoCal this week; officials are already taking steps to prepare for potential mudslides and debris flows in vulnerable burn areas.