Caltrans scheduled crews onto Pacific Coast Highway between Malibu Lagoon and the Ventura County line starting Oct. 27, 2026. Its construction calendar runs into 2030. For western Malibu, that means years of weekday flaggers and narrowed lanes. When the work is finished, the proposed design adds sidewalks, turn pockets and realignments at Heathercliff Road, Malibu Road and Cross Creek. Those are the same addresses where most of the town's new storefronts opened this year.
A Weekday Morning Problem, Mostly
The Caltrans announcement sets the work window at Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. It promises at least one lane open in each direction whenever crews are working. The agency's project page says there will be no full closures. It also says flaggers and traffic control will be in place and speed limits will be lower in the work zone.
That schedule puts the disruption in a specific slot. The morning drive toward Santa Monica and the midday errand run both fall inside the window. A drive home after 3 p.m., or anything on Saturday or Sunday, falls outside the published hours. Caltrans also warns that homes and businesses near the work may hear grinding and feel some vibration. It adds that the schedule depends on the weather and that all dates and times may change.
Buses should mostly keep running as usual. Caltrans expects minimal transit impact and says it will announce any stops that move temporarily.
Malibu.FM reported that the first work would run from the Malibu Creek Bridge toward the county line. That is a reported starting area. Caltrans has not published a block-by-block sequence.
Why the West Goes First
The repaving is two separate Caltrans projects, and western Malibu has the earlier one.
| Project I | Project II | |
|---|---|---|
| Segment | Cross Creek Road to the Ventura County line | McClure Tunnel in Santa Monica to just south of Cross Creek Road |
| Lane miles | About 63 | About 57 |
| Cost | $69 million | $85 million |
| Construction | Fall 2026 through spring 2030 | Late 2027 through 2030 |
The two Caltrans pages give slightly different end dates. The October announcement says "Winter 2029/2030" and the project page says spring 2030. In either version, the stretch past Cross Creek has crews working on it through the end of the decade. The contractor is Chumo Construction of Baldwin Park.
Caltrans calls this capital maintenance meant to extend the highway's service life. It is separate from the longer-term PCH Master Plan, which is still in early phases.
East and west are also on different safety timelines. In its Oct. 1 update, the City of Malibu said test data from Sept. 16 through Sept. 24, 2026, recorded about 100,000 speeding violations at four camera locations. About 86 percent of them occurred in eastern Malibu. The City moved the cameras' warning period to November 2026. During testing, the cameras issue no warnings or citations, even when they flash. So the eastern end, where most of the recorded speeding happened, gets cameras now and new pavement in late 2027 at the earliest. The western end gets crews first.
Where the Finished Road Changes
The repaving also includes Complete Streets elements for cyclists, pedestrians and drivers. The most detailed public description is a Caltrans presentation hosted by the City, labeled as the proposed scope of work. Treat its items as planned, not guaranteed.
| Location | Proposed change |
|---|---|
| Heathercliff Road | Longer northbound left-turn pocket; sidewalk at the bus stop |
| Busch Drive | Sidewalk at the bus stop |
| Malibu Cove Colony Drive | Longer northbound left-turn pocket |
| Malibu Road and Civic Center Way | Realignments |
| Cross Creek Road to Malibu Road | New sidewalk |
| Cross Creek Road to Webb Way | New sidewalk |
| Malibu Canyon Road to John Tyler Drive | New sidewalk |
| South of Corral Canyon Road | New sidewalk |
The same presentation proposes Class II striped bike lanes in 14 northbound segments, about 7.1 miles, and 15 southbound segments, about 8.3 miles. It pairs them with 11-foot vehicle lanes and a two-foot raised median. It also lists 37 new lights in Malibu, upgraded guardrails, enhanced crosswalk striping, audible and countdown pedestrian signals, and bicycle detection.
Several of those locations are where Malibu's newest businesses opened this year.
Heathercliff Road
The Royal Egg Cafe opened June 15 at 29169 Heathercliff Road, Suite 106, in Point Dume Plaza, as The Malibu Times reported. It is a family-owned breakfast-and-lunch spot run by Jaron and Bree Gugliuzza. Across the street at 29170 Heathercliff Road, Suite 6, Bobbi Bennett opened Stoked Malibu Gallery, at first by appointment. Cliff and Christie Graham opened ART Gallery in Point Dume in July. The proposed longer northbound turn pocket at Heathercliff is the turn into that cluster. The proposed bus-stop sidewalk would sit at the same intersection.
There has been movement in the other direction too. Malibu Eye Center moved out of Point Dume Plaza to the Ocean View building at 24955 PCH, Suite A-103.
Malibu Road and Cross Creek
BEAMS, the Japanese fashion and lifestyle brand, opened its first U.S. concept shop at 23710 Malibu Road on Aug. 7. It is open Fridays through Sundays. Down the road, N2 Aesthetics held its ribbon cutting Aug. 22 at 23841 Malibu Road, Suite 18. Both openings are in The Malibu Times' September roundup. Cross Creek Ranch picked up The Shop by Wheat, a new apparel boutique. Brandy Melville USA relocated there and opened in late May, and Zadig & Voltaire moved in as well. In the Malibu Country Mart, The New West moved to the breezeway across from John Varvatos, according to the paper's July business report.
Project I's segment begins at Cross Creek Road. The proposed realignment at Malibu Road and the sidewalks from Cross Creek to Malibu Road and from Cross Creek to Webb Way would reshape the walk between these storefronts. That walk links the BEAMS block, Cross Creek Ranch and the Country Mart.
Trancas
The far western end has lost a long-running spot. Kristy's closed its Trancas Country Market restaurant on Sept. 9, The Malibu Times reported. It ended a run that began at Zuma Beach in 2011 and continued in the former Le Village Cafe space from early 2017. Closer in, The Sandwich Shop, run by Sara Jerabek, opened at 30150 Morningview Drive across from the schools. Both sit along the stretch Caltrans is working on first.
The western end is also getting separate, city-led work. Caltrans notes that it is supporting the City on two Measure M-funded quick-build roundabouts near El Matador State Beach.
Checking the Road Before You Leave
Caltrans has said it will post detour routes on changeable message signs ahead of any closure. For a weekday trip through western Malibu, these are the published sources:
- QuickMap for live closures and road conditions.
- Caltrans District 7 on X and Instagram for alerts.
- The project page for schedule changes as the work moves along the corridor.
For now, Caltrans has published weekday crew hours of 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. through spring 2030, and has not said when work reaches Heathercliff or Cross Creek.
Getzels Group follows the PCH corridor as closely as the homes along it. If you want to talk through what years of roadwork mean for a property on the western stretch, Getzels Group is happy to share what we're seeing. Work With Us.