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Press release

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One southbound lane of the Pacific Coast Highway running between El Moro and Irvine Cove has closed after a large crack appeared on the side of a bluff which supports the highway near Laguna Beach.

It comes after the past weekend’s high tides and strong waves battered coastal Orange County towns, even flooding places like Balboa Peninsula in Newport Beach and streets in Laguna Beach. 

While the state highway is not in Laguna Beach’s jurisdiction, the city released a video on Instagram Tuesday afternoon detailing the damage and expected delays.

“We reached out to CalTrans and they did confirm that the closure is related to some potential issues in the shoulder of the road,” said Tom Perez, Laguna Beach public works and utilities director, in the Instagram video.

“We have no information as far as how deep or what the extent of the crack is, but CalTrans is working on investigating the issue and determining what course of action they may need to take for any repairs.”

Currently, there is no estimated reopening date, and traffic will likely be affected for several days.

“We don’t know how long this will last, it will depend on their analysis of what has gone wrong there, but it will impact your day,” said City Manager Dave Kiff in the Instagram video.

Tropical Storm Rachel and unusually high tides brought surface flooding to several coastal cities in OC, with Newport Beach declaring a state of emergency after Balboa Peninsula was flooded Friday.

OC Supervisor Katrina Foley, who represents much of South OC, said the coast is already being impacted ahead of major storms or flooding from the expected super El Niño.

“Orange County is already experiencing serious coastal erosion as we prepare for the escalating impacts of a historic El Niño winter, and the storm season has yet to begin,” Foley said in a Tuesday afternoon news release. 

OC beach cities could be in for more troubling weather this year, as the National Weather Service is predicting a Super El Niño season, with a 83% chance of a historic event from October to December – potentially setting up a wet winter coupled with high tides that could lead to more coastal flooding.

While coastal OC cities are bracing for the high tides and heavy rain, the Orange County Transportation Authority is pushing back a project expected to bolster San Clemente’s coast until after the El Niño season is over.

In her Tuesday news release, Foley stressed just how impacted the coast is ahead of El Niño.

“From waves overtopping our railroad tracks in San Clemente and disrupting rail service, to bluff erosion forcing the closure of a lane on Pacific Coast Highway in Laguna Beach, our coastal transportation infrastructure and beach economy are increasingly under threat.”