Letter: Speed It Up

This letter was sent to Ventura County Supervisor Linda Parks, Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin and Senator Fran Pavley.

We are writing to discuss the need for urgency in completing repairs and re-opening Pacific Coast Highway between Yerba Buena and Las Posas roads. Please provide assistance and coordination to Caltrans to expedite completion of the repair work.

The highway has been closed since Dec. 12, 2014. This is a major safety issue, as the closure of Pacific Coast Highway has eliminated the northbound evacuation route in the event of an emergency, such as a wildfire. And this has greatly increased response time for any ambulance or other emergency vehicles coming to our area, or for anyone in our area needing to go to Oxnard, Camarillo or Thousand Oaks for emergency medical services. 

We live in the unincorporated area of Ventura County (called Malibu) adjacent to Point Mugu State Park and the Circle X ranch campground of the National Park System. We use this highway as our primary route to access grocery stores and other stores and services in Oxnard, Camarillo, or Thousand Oaks. Also, our neighbors tell us of the significant impact to their businesses; it is now harder to work with suppliers and customers in Oxnard, Camarillo, Thousand Oaks and Ventura. 

We just learned PCH will be closed until early March to repair road damage due to high surf, in addition to the repairs needed due to damage from mudslides and rain. And, we have learned that Caltrans must obtain permits from numerous agencies in order for the road repair work to begin. We are concerned that the time to obtain additional permits could result in delays, which we hope could be avoided by increasing the priority of the PCH repair work. 

Again, please provide assistance and coordination to Caltrans, to expedite to completion of the repair work.

Thomas White and Allana Stepp