The governor's office announced that part of the Southern California Pacific Coast Expressway has only been open to locals since the January fire.
Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a media statement that a lane should be opened to drivers by the end of May.
“We understand the importance of this route to daily life and local businesses,” Newsom said in the announcement. “Reopening PCH is a top priority and we will do our best to do this.”
On January 7, extreme winds in Santa Ana burned to the ocean from Malibu, destroying more than 6,800 houses and buildings and killing 12 people, and a fire broke out in Palisades. The fire soon experienced winter rain, which triggered a stream of soil and debris that washed out the highway and even pushed fire officials' vehicles into the ocean.
The governor's office said more than 100 trucks, excavators and other equipment are working on the highway every day, with more than 1,200 truck fragments being taken away every day.
Currently, PCH is only open to residents living in the Palisades fire area. The Governor’s Office of Emergency Services is working with the California Department of Transportation and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to clean up destroyed houses, remove toxic ash and soot, and repair roads.
When the expressway reopens to the public, security checkpoints at the north and south ends will be removed. Law enforcement from state and local agencies will remain in the area.
For additional information on the recovery status of wildfires, visit www.ca.gov/lafires.
