A long-awaited and long-dreaded project to stabilize the California Incline -— which connects Ocean Avenue to Pacific Coast Highway — will completely shut down the connector for one year beginning Monday, April 20. Thus, for at least three months, the Incline and lanes in both directions of PCH in Santa Monica will be simultaneously closed.
The Incline will be completely demolished and a new ramp, complete with bike lanes and a widened sidewalk, will be constructed in its place. The City of Santa Monica also states the new Incline will be built up to seismic standards, which the existing California Incline does not meet.
Despite pleas from commuters and locals, the construction company hired by the City of Santa Monica will only work a daytime shift Mondays through Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., according to the Santa Monica Canyon Civic Association. Many had hoped work would be done around-the-clock in order to speed up the project.
The Incline project is not going to be done until at least Memorial Day 2016, according to the City of Santa Monica. However, city officials are hopeful that traffic will flow quickly along PCH since the traffic signal at the bottom of the Incline will be green most of the time.
The City of Santa Monica has provided a suggested detour map for travelers in both directions. They suggest drivers headed east, from the direction of Malibu, take Ocean Avenue (Moomat Ahiko Way) near the Pier, or else take the 10 Freeway and exit at Lincoln.
For commuters in the opposite direction, Santa Monica planners suggest exactly the opposite: either take Lincoln to the 10 (via the Olympic Dr. on-ramp), which funnels back onto PCH, or Moomat Ahiko down to westbound PCH.