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Two photos side by side. On the left, a close up photo of the Santa Monica Bluffs showing a portion of the bluff with a large crack. On the right, a photo is an aerial view of the bluffs looking north. The bluff with a crack is in the foreground. Embedded in the left photo are text boxes indicating the Santa Monica Veterans Memorial, the Pacific Coast Highway, the PCH/Arizona Pedestrian Bridge, Ocean Avenue and Santa Monica Boulevard. | Photo courtesy of City of Santa Monica
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The westbound Santa Monica (10) Freeway and a portion of northbound Pacific Coast Highway will be closed in Santa Monica late Tuesday evening so crews can make emergency repairs to a potentially unstable bluff.
A massive fissure developed in the bluff overlooking PCH just north of the 10 Freeway, leading to concerns of a possible collapse, although there was no indication such a collapse was imminent.
“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,” according to a statement from the city of Santa Monica.
To accommodate the work, the northbound Moomat Ahiko Way on-ramp to PCH will close beginning at 11:30 p.m. The westbound 10 freeway will close at Lincoln Boulevard through to northbound PCH at the California Incline beginning at 2 a.m. Wednesday.
City officials said they expect all work to be completed and the roads reopened by noon Wednesday.
During the closure, westbound 10 Freeway motorists who need to access PCH will be detoured off the freeway at Lincoln and routed to either Wilshire or Santa Monica boulevards, Ocean Avenue and the California Incline.
Southbound PCH and eastbound I-10 will not be impacted.
