Famed Pacific Coast Highway on verge of crumbling into the sea in Orange County

"It’s definitely a concern.”

It is impossible to live, or visit, Southern California without enjoying the Pacific Coast Highway, also known as California 1. The famed motorway extends all the way from Leggett, in the north, to Dana Point, in the south, and passes right by some of the Golden State’s most iconic waves including, but not limited to, Malibu.

It is with much sadness, then, that a portion of the road was closed today after an ocean-facing cliff supporting the PCH developed a large crack after getting smashed by big ol’ waves.

Local boy Blair Conklin told Surfer, “The cliff side right here this close to PCH is falling… that’s why all this water is so brown. They just closed part of one lane on PCH, and my guess is because the cliff is eroding so bad… it might be at risk of having part of PCH crumble into the ocean.”

“Any time that any of these exit routes or entrance routes are comprised, it’s definitely a concern,” Laguna Beach Mayor Mark Orgill told the local news. “Fortunately, there’s no other weather event happening right now. As you know, we had some recent rainfall, so the hillsides are damp, not susceptible to fire at this time. So I feel good about that, but it’s still worrisome to have one of the lanes shut down.”

Daytrippers will be forced to travel through less glamorous Laguna Nigel now.

Very sad.