Motorists traveling Pacific Coast Highway and Topanga Canyon Boulevard will encounter multiple lane closures and traffic controls this week as repair crews continue work on roads damaged by the January Palisades Fire, Caltrans announced Monday.
Single-lane closures on PCH between Temescal Canyon Road in Pacific Palisades and Carbon Beach Terrace in Malibu may occur anytime between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. on weekdays, with additional nighttime closures planned for several locations. Speed limits remain reduced to 35 mph from Temescal Canyon Road to Sunset Boulevard and 25 mph through the active work zone extending to Carbon Beach Terrace.
On Topanga Canyon Boulevard, the stretch from Pacific Coast Highway to Grand View Drive remains closed to the public from midnight to 5 a.m. daily. Daytime travel requires one-way traffic control with pilot cars and temporary signals at multiple locations where crews are rebuilding the roadway.
Specific work zones include bridge repairs at Corral Canyon Road, retaining wall construction near the Getty Villa, and Southern California Edison trenching operations between Las Flores Canyon and Topanga Canyon Boulevard. Just south of Big Rock Drive, the northbound lane will be reduced to one lane from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday.
The ongoing repairs address extensive damage from the January wildfire that burned more than 23,000 acres across Malibu, Los Angeles and unincorporated communities in Los Angeles County. The fire destroyed 6,800 structures and damaged an additional 1,000, while downed utility poles and power lines forced complete highway closures for several months.
Field inspections revealed widespread fire-related damage along both corridors. The wildfire's intense heat and subsequent mudslides compromised burned guardrails, charred retaining walls, unstable slopes and destroyed drainage systems. Melted road signs and traffic signals required replacement, while entire shoulders and lanes washed out during winter rainstorms following the fire.
Topanga Canyon Boulevard experienced localized rockslides in the steep Santa Monica Mountains, with boulders and ash debris blocking the roadway. PCH, which runs below fire-denuded coastal bluffs, was buried in places by mud and debris flows. At least one timber retaining wall failed after flames consumed the hillside supporting it.
Since January, crews have removed more than 35,000 cubic tons of mud, rocks and fire debris from Topanga Canyon Boulevard alone. Emergency responders installed concrete barriers, sandbags, steel plates, slope netting and straw tubes along vulnerable stretches to fortify roads and protect adjacent homes from flooding or landslides.
Despite these measures, a heavy storm on Jan. 26 caused Topanga Creek to overflow, with mud and boulders inundating both highways and forcing crews to evacuate. Winter storms in February and March repeatedly set back recovery efforts as fresh mudslides hit cleared roads.
The recovery effort has shifted from emergency cleanup to major reconstruction, with at least 10 separate repair projects active along roughly 8.5 miles of PCH and 3.6 miles of Topanga Canyon Boulevard. Long-term work includes repaving fire-damaged surfaces, replacing destroyed traffic signals and signage, and installing new drainage infrastructure.
A large timber retaining wall near the Getty Villa is being rebuilt along with its drainage system under a $9.5 million emergency contract awarded in May. Along Topanga Canyon Boulevard, engineers are constructing new retaining walls at three locations and rebuilding collapsed shoulders and travel lanes where hillsides slipped away.
Southern California Edison is undergrounding power lines along Topanga Canyon to replace dozens of poles burned or felled in the fire. Los Angeles County Public Works Department rerouted a water main after part of the road washed out and left the pipe exposed.
Preliminary cost estimates continue to rise as work progresses. Emergency repairs on Topanga Canyon Boulevard alone are projected to cost at least $14.5 million, with that figure expected to increase. On PCH, Caltrans allocated $13.2 million to replace the destroyed Las Flores Maintenance Station and dedicated another $9.5 million to reconstruct failing slope retaining walls and drainage near Pacific Palisades.
Caltrans and contractors have targeted spring 2026 for completing major slope stabilization and road reconstruction on Topanga Canyon Boulevard, while PCH recovery work is expected to continue through late 2025 and beyond. Funding comes from a mix of state emergency allocations and federal disaster relief programs following the governor's emergency proclamation and a federal disaster declaration in January.
Officials advise drivers to remain cautious and patient in both corridors, especially with winter rains approaching that could prompt new preventive closures. Crews are working seven days a week at multiple zones to complete the remaining construction while prioritizing safety for workers and travelers.