Huge crack along PCH near Laguna Beach will take at least $4 million to fix, officials say

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Set us as preferred Caltrans has secured millions in emergency funding to fix a large crack that has developed in the slope below Pacific Coast Highway near Laguna Beach.The crack near the Moro Beach section of Crystal Cove is estimated to be 360 feet long and 2 feet wide.It was first spotted earlier this month after high tides and waves smashed into the slope.

As of Tuesday, Caltrans had secured $4 million in emergency funding to fix the crack and was expecting approval from California State Parks and the California Coastal Commission to close both southbound lanes of PCH and convert one of the northbound lanes into a southbound lane, according to Caltrans spokesperson Christianne Smith.Currently, the right lane of southbound PCH — closest to the slope — is closed from Reef Point Drive to Irvine Cove Drive, according to Smith.Caltrans isn’t concerned about any other areas along Pacific Coast Highway, according to Smith.

“We’re primarily focused on the Moro Beach slope near Crystal Cove, where the crack formed,” she added.California A weekend of high surf and stormy weather has battered the Southern California coastline.

This week, a crack appeared below Pacific Coast Highway in Laguna Beach, prompting a partial closure.Caltrans has already installed plastic sheeting over the crack to stop rainwater from entering the slope ahead of expected storms, according to a Caltrans statement.The second phase started Tuesday as crews began reinforcing the slope by buttressing it at the base and armoring it with rocks to hinder slope movement and erosion.

The third phrase involves working 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,” according to the Caltrans statement.A timel...