20-mile stretch of Pacific Coast Highway closes for repairs following Woolsey fire

The closure of portions of Pacific Coast Highway along a 20-mile stretch through Malibu began Monday as crews went to work repairing damage caused by the Woolsey fire, according to the California Department of Transportation.

Crews will be working to stabilize hillsides, replace damaged guardrails, remove burned debris, restore damaged signs and clear drainage lines along the highway, according to Caltrans.

Workers also will be installing silt fences along the lower end of burned slopes and applying netting for erosion control.

The right lane and shoulder will be closed in several areas along the westbound highway between Coastline Drive and Decker Canyon Road from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., according to the city of Malibu.

The work is scheduled to take place six days a week, Monday through Saturday. Traffic delays are likely, city officials said.

The Woolsey fire, which straddled Los Angeles and Ventura counties, began Nov. 8 and killed three people, scorched nearly 97,000 acres and destroyed more than 1,600 structures.

In addition to the fire-related closures, one lane of Pacific Coast Highway in each direction also will be closed along a one-mile stretch between Puerco Canyon and Corral Canyon roads beginning Monday for the resumption of a project to reconstruct a raised median island, according to the city.

Those closures will be Monday through Friday, from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m., according to the city. At least one lane will be open in each direction, and speeds will be reduced to 40 mph in the work zone.

Highway 23 also remains closed from Pacific Coast Highway to Mulholland Drive as utility crews replace electrical wires and poles, according to Caltrans.

hailey.branson@latimes.com

Twitter: @haileybranson

UPDATES:

Dec. 3, 9:55 a.m.: This article was updated with additional details from Caltrans and about the closure of Highway 23.

This article was originally published on Nov. 30 at 5:50 p.m.