Santa Monica drivers heading north along the coast face single-lane squeezes, speed limits as low as 15 mph, and doubled traffic fines this week as Caltrans shuts down lanes on Pacific Coast Highway and Topanga Canyon Boulevard for Palisades Fire recovery work.

The closures run Monday, July 13, through Sunday, July 19, according to the Santa Monica Mirror, citing state transportation officials. Daytime work restricts travel on weekdays between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., while overnight paving hits Topanga Canyon Boulevard from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.

Here's what drivers need to know, segment by segment.

PCH closures

Sunset Boulevard to Carbon Beach Terrace: Crews will enforce a 25 mph speed limit with potential single-lane closures during weekday daytime hours.

Temescal Canyon Road to Sunset Boulevard: The speed limit is reduced to 35 mph through this stretch.

Las Flores Canyon Road to Sunset Boulevard: Drainage repairs and slope stabilization at Las Flores Creek will close the right-turn lane to Rambla Pacifico Street on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Right turns will still be allowed from the main travel lane.

Big Rock Drive area: Southern California Edison utility work will shut down one lane in each direction Monday, July 13, through Wednesday, July 15, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Pena Road to Tuna Canyon Road: Retaining wall reconstruction will reduce southbound traffic to a single lane between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. on active work days.

South of Topanga Canyon Boulevard to Sunset Boulevard: Northbound traffic drops to a single lane during midday hours for slope stabilization.

Topanga Canyon Boulevard closures

PCH to Grand View Drive: Weekday commuters face a 15 mph speed limit and one-lane traffic control between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Happy Trail to PCH (overnight): Repaving runs Monday night, July 13, through Saturday morning, July 18, with one-lane traffic control from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.

Why the work is happening

The construction is part of Caltrans District 7's recovery from the Palisades Fire, which ignited on Tuesday, January 7, 2025, destroyed thousands of homes in Pacific Palisades and Malibu, and killed 12 people. On Topanga Canyon Boulevard, crews are installing an 84-inch reinforced concrete pipe to replace a 34-inch pipe, increasing capacity to carry water and mud during rainstorms and reduce debris flow. Caltrans District 7 expects that project to wrap up around November 2026.

Fines and enforcement

Traffic fines are doubled in all active construction zones along these corridors, according to Caltrans District 7.

A Los Angeles Times column published Sunday, July 12, noted that since the fire, the number of crashes along PCH has dropped as construction zones forced drivers to slow down. The Malibu stretch of PCH has recorded 63 crash deaths since 2010.

Caltrans urges drivers to check the QuickMap tool at quickmap.dot.ca.gov for real-time road conditions before heading out.