Mugu Secant Walls Project

Location and Limits:

In Ventura County, south of Point Mugu State Park and Sycamore Canyon Road

The Project:

The project will construct two secant (retaining) walls on the southbound/coastal side of Pacific Coast Highway (PCH / State Route 1) at Post Mile (PM) 4.0 and PM 4.2 to provide permanent restoration to the eroded slopes. The secant wall at PM 4.0 is about 600 feet long. The second secant wall at PM 4.2 is about 200 feet long. The project is needed because there has been accelerated structural undermining of the slope due to severe surf erosion, which has resulted in cracks and displacements of the roadway shoulder. The project area is prone to erosion and needs permanent slope protection.  

Traffic lanes will be shifted toward the mountain side to create staging space for construction equipment. To provide drivers with protection against falling rocks along the shoulder, cable net mesh will be installed on the mountain prior to construction. A 1,000-foot stretch of the right southbound shoulder will be closed, reducing PCH to one lane in both directions. The lanes will be a shared roadway with bicyclists. The speed limit in the work zone will be reduced to 25 miles per hour. Motorists can expect delays.

Benefits:

The purpose of this project is to permanently restore the slope of the damage incurred by severe storm events in the project limits. This will alleviate future undermining of slopes due to severe erosion and possible failure of the roadway itself. The performance measure for this project are two locations of permanent restoration.

Schedule:

Fall 2021 through Spring 2023

Concerned Communities:

Malibu, Ventura County

Total Programmed Project Costs:

$51 million

FAQs

Q: What is the Mugu Secant Walls Project?

The project will construct two secant (retaining) walls to permanently restore eroded slopes on the coastal side of Pacific Coast Highway (PCH/State Route 1) south of Point Mugu State Park and Sycamore Canyon Road in Ventura County. The slope has been structurally undermined by severe surf erosion, which has resulted in cracks and displacements of the roadway shoulder. The secant wall at post mile (PM) 4.0 is 600 feet long and the second secant wall at PM 4.2 is 200 feet long. The project area is prone to erosion and needs adequate slope protection.

Q: What should motorists expect?

A 1,000-foot stretch of the right southbound shoulder will be closed, reducing PCH to one lane in both directions. The lanes will be a shared roadway with bicyclists. The speed limit in the work zone will be reduced to 25 miles per hour. Fines will be double for violations. There will be intermittent lane closures as needed for public safety. Motorists can expect delays. This configuration will be for the duration of the project. Cranes and heavy equipment will be visible on the coastal side.

Q: When will the work occur?

Construction will occur day and night as needed, Monday through Saturday. Construction activities will generate noise, vibrations and dust. The work zone is not located near residential or commercial areas. The project is a Flatiron Construction and Drill Tech Drilling & Shoring, Inc., joint venture. All work is subject to change due to weather or construction-related issues. Updates on the project can be found on Twitter via @CaltransDist7 and http://quickmap.dot.ca.gov/, which provides the latest road conditions.

Contact Information:

Jim Medina
Public Information Officer
Caltrans – District 7
213.276.3390 – Cell or Text
James.Medina@dot.ca.gov
Twitter: @CaltransDist7