Here's the latest on Pacific Coast Highway construction in Ventura County
For years, waves slamming into Ventura County’s southern coast repeatedly washed out a steep bank along a stretch of Pacific Coast Highway.
The damage led to closures and costly construction on the state highway popular with drivers and cyclists. Most recently, the shoulder of the road cracked and crumbled as the bank eroded, leaving a section of guardrail hanging over the edge.
Crews are now building two large retaining walls between the road and waves — work that Caltrans says will help protect against future damage and keep the road from failing.
"This has been an area of concern for some time," agency spokesman Jim Medina said.
Similar retaining walls have been used by Caltrans elsewhere in the state, he said. The agency is more than two years into the $51 million project just south of Sycamore Cove, part of Point Mugu State Park. The construction site takes up a small stretch north of the popular Neptune's Net restaurant.
The highway not only has faced threats from rising sea levels and damaging surf but also debris flows. The coastal route has repeatedly been hit by mud and rock slides after wildfires in the adjacent Santa Monica Mountains. The highway closed for months after late 2014 downpours sent mud and rocks rushing down burned hillsides and over PCH.
When will construction finish?
The project started in 2021 with crews knocking down loose boulders and then installing netting to protect drivers from falling rocks along the north side of the highway. Utility lines and poles also were moved.
The 600- and 200-foot walls are designed to form a solid barrier between the ocean and the shoulder on the southbound side, Medina said. Construction includes installing steel beams and pouring concrete into holes 60 to 100 feet deep. The overlapping supports help create a watertight surface.
Flatiron Construction and Drill Tech Drilling & Shoring Inc. received contracts for construction. Plans had called for the work to wrap up in spring this year, but the effort faced delays, including a series of winter storms.
The work is now on track to be completed in June 2024, Medina said.
What is happening with construction?
During construction, officials lowered the speed limit and narrowed traffic lanes in the area.
A 1,000-foot stretch of the southbound shoulder has been closed and the highway reduced to one lane in both directions.
At times, lane closures also are possible. Caltrans officials warned drivers to expect delays. More information on the project is available at dot.ca.gov/caltrans-near-me/district-7.
Cheri Carlson covers the environment and county government for the Ventura County Star. Reach her at cheri.carlson@vcstar.com or 805-437-0260.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Pacific Coast Highway near Point Mugu to get retaining walls
