Gov. Gavin Newsom Visits PCH Crack In South OC, Issues Order Protecting Eroding Hillside

LAGUNA BEACH, CA — Governor Gavin Newsom paid a visit to Orange County on Tuesday to sign an executive order intended to protect a stretch of Pacific Coast Highway that is showing severe cracking on the bluff north of Laguna Beach.

During the Tuesday morning visit, Newsom directed state agencies to prepare Highway 1 and surrounding communities for potential El Niño storm damage and address longer-term climate threats.

"Highway 1 is more than our nation's most iconic roadway. It keeps our coastal economy moving. It gets people to work, children to school, goods to local businesses, first responders where they're needed most, and visitors to our legendary beaches," Newsom said in a statement. "We know what repeated closures cost these communities, and we're putting state agencies to work now to reduce the danger before storms hit."

According to The Orange County Register, an estimated 29,000 to 32,000 vehicles use Pacific Coast Highway every day through the impacted area.

Since the crack was discovered and emergency repairs followed, both northbound and southbound lanes were reduced to one lane in each direction.

The crack was originally discovered on Oct. 10 after days of repeated big swell and high tides slammed into the ocean-facing slope.

Caltrans approved $4 million in emergency repairs funding to address the crack — which was estimated to be 360-feet long and up to 24-inches wide — but the full cost of repairs remains to be seen.

"Caltrans is working closely with California State Parks to develop a long-term stabilization approach to ensure roadway protection by drawing on geotechnical data and lessons learned from similar emergency repairs," Caltrans said in a news release.

Caltrans spokesperson Christianne Smith told SFGATE that $4 million in emergency funding had been approved, but the project scope is still being assessed.

"As project plans are still evolving, the full cost of the project has not yet been established," Smith said.

According to Smith, crews have been battling strong tides and the steep hillside daily to ensure Phase 1 of the $4 million repair project goes as planned.

As of Monday, Smith said Phase 1 of the plan, which included the plastic tarp barrier and sand barriers, had been completed.

During Phase 2, contractors will only be able to work during low tide to install a buttress at the bottom of the slope and fill it with rocks to slow wave energy and cliffside erosion.

"We're awaiting authorization from California State Parks and the California Coastal Commission to proceed with the next steps of Phase 2," Smith said.

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