Cars were detoured off PCH onto Moomat Ahiko before the McClure Tunnel.
The City of Santa Monica issued a Pacific Coast High closure at the McClure Tunnel, today, at 7:40 a.m. releasing the following statement “Due to a brush fire, East and West Bound Santa Monica Freeway will be closed between the McClure tunnel and 20th Street until further notice.
“Lincoln Boulevard is closed to north- and south-bound traffic from Westbound Olympic to Eastbound Olympic until further notice.”
Then the City released information about a traffic accident on Ocean Avenue between California and Santa Monica Avenue—closing those lanes of traffic, causing further traffic problems. At 9:14 a.m. that accident was cleared and the lanes reopened.
An updated 9 a.m. alert about the brush fire noted that Eastbound Santa Monica Freeway remains closed from the McClure Tunnel to Lincoln, but that all other street closures had been lifted.
Southbound PCH traffic was reportedly backed up to Malibu. KFI traffic advised people to take Topanga or any other possible road to access the 101 Freeway. The station noted that the earliest PCH might open would be 10:30 a.m. and that there had been fire damage because of a homeless encampment to a Caltrans sign/structure, but did not specify, what it was.
As always when PCH is closed south of Pacific Palisades, drivers look for alternate routes, jamming traffic on Sunset and Temescal Canyon Road.
With PCH closed, drivers looked for alternate routes, including Sunset Boulevard.
Thanks for the heads’ up! It’s also a good reminder that even with the foggy mornings, we’re still in a fire zone where not everyone is careful with matches and fires.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SENDING THIS VITAL INFO TO US!
Unfortunately, many of us who have been permanently removed from
Nextdoor app are in danger living in Los Angeles now. Any city alerts,
We get NO /ZERO notice. It is the ultimate discrimination against those of us
Who may not completely agree with the Democratic Party.
I really do not know how this is legal:
Thank you Sue for informing us of this closure
Disenfranchised Palisades resident
Not “Brush fire” but rather “Vagrant-caused fire”. Since 2019, 70% of LAFD-addressed fires are caused by vagrants, but few media (are incented to) report this.