Construction located east of the Malibu Pier caused a near-30-minute delay for motorists headed eastbound on Pacific Coast Highway last week through Tuesday of this week.
Some of those motorists took to social media, prompting a response from the city—which distanced itself from the project.
According to an emailed statement, the city said the project—a new traffic signal installation on PCH—”is being carried out by contractors working for the Malibu Beach Inn.”
The work is part of a project approved by California Coastal Commission. According to city officials, the project did not need local approval.
Jonathan Kaye, a Malibu local, called out the announcement and said that PCH was on its way to becoming “stop and go central.”
Point Dume resident James Dixon wrote, “The urbanization of Malibu continues at a rapid pace. This crosswalk will increase the weekend and holiday backups even further.
Another resident shared her frustration: “I can’t believe it’s gotten to the point where [I] have to leave myself 1.5 hours just go get out of town … no matter what time or day of the week.”