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New Safety Upgrades Planned For PCH After Four College Student Deaths
California State Transportation Secretary Toks Omishakin (right) stands next to Lee Haber (left), Chief Safety Officer for Caltrans District 7. Omishakin announced Monday the state is making PCH its top safety priority.
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Gillian Morán Pérez/LAist
)
California transportation officials have announced that $4.2 million will be spent on safety improvements along the 21-mile stretch of Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu months after four Pepperdine students were struck and killed while on the side of the busy roadway.
California State Secretary of Transportation Toks Omishakin on Monday said the state is going to "double down" and make PCH the top safety project.
Here's a breakdown of what the Caltrans contract will fund:
- Optical speed bars
- 13 safety feedback signs (signs that alert drivers when they are driving over the speed limit)
- Enhanced striping on curves to warn drivers of upcoming curves, especially along the so-called "Dead Man's Curve" between Carbon Canyon Road and Rambla Vista where the four Pepperdine students died
- Painting the speed limit on the roadways
- Refresh signs that designate the PCH safety corridor
More information on the safety upgrades will be published on the new PCH safety website, which will keep the community updated.
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In addition to safety upgrades, three additional California Highway Patrol officers will be deployed on the roadway to enforce the speed limit starting Jan. 1.
Omishakin said the state is also looking to increase traffic fines for speeding drivers.
Go deeper: Traffic Signals On Pacific Coast Highway To Be Installed To Slow Traffic
Corrected May 8, 2024 at 1:02 PM PDT
A previous version of this story incorrectly stated the amount of funding from Caltrans. LAist regrets the error.
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