PCH closed in Malibu; traffic backed up for miles

A six-mile stretch of Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu remained closed Saturday after a utility pole snapped and dangled over the road, bring traffic to a standstill and backing up traffic on the heavily traveled road for miles in both direction.

All lanes of the PCH were closed between Latigo Canyon Road and John Tyler Drive at about 10 a.m. and were not expected to reopen until about 2 p.m. as crews worked to clear the hazard, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The closure caused traffic backups to Kanan Dume Road on the westbound side and to the Malibu Pier on the eastbound side, Los Angeles County sheriff’s Lt. Michael Williams said.

Officials advised travelers to avoid the area for the next few hours, Williams said.

The PCH is known for congestion, particularly on sunny weekends when motorists head to the beach. Williams said Saturday that traffic was hardly moving.

“With this impact in both directions, it is going to be much worse” than normal, he said. “Expect extreme delays and highlight extreme.”

At about 9:21 a.m. a power pole cracked and a wire lay on the PCH, impeding traffic near Corral Canyon, according to Southern California Edison spokeswoman Susan Cox.

Initially, about 976 homes and businesses were without power, Cox said. Southern Edison was able to restore to most of the customers affeced but about 244 customers remain in the dark.

The wire has been cleared from the road but crew are working to repair the power pole, Cox said.

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