Big tides and back-to-back swells have chewed into the bluff at Crystal Cove State Park, opening cracks yards from Pacific Coast Highway. Caltrans closed a southbound lane between Reef Point and Irvine Cove; the beach below is shut, and no injuries have been reported.
Caltrans maintenance crews spotted the cracks running parallel to PCH on Sunday, Oct. 11, near Moro Beach and El Moro Canyon, between Newport Beach and Laguna Beach. Engineers assessed the slope Monday, and the right-hand southbound lane from Reef Point Drive to Irvine Cove Drive is now closed until repairs are done. Aerial footage Tuesday showed part of the cliff face had already slumped.
Caltrans says high tides are eroding the bluffs fast and the slope beside the highway “appears to have been compromised.” The agency is working with California State Parks and the Coastal Commission on a fix, and Laguna Beach officials say to plan on the closure lasting well beyond a few days. State Parks has also closed the beach below the slide area, so if you were eyeing Moro for the next pulse, pick another spot and give the cliff room.
Local channel Skid Kids walked the bluff and the swell-wrecked Laguna shoreline. The crack shows up about two minutes in:
