Coast Highway Will Partially Reopen After Repairs

Caltrans officials, noting quicker-than-expected progress by work crews, announced Friday that a stretch of Coast Highway that was closed because of a water-main break will remain partially open this weekend.

The agency had initially reported that both northbound lanes of the highway were to be closed at least until today.

But Caltrans spokesman Steve Seville said Friday that repair work on a broken 30-inch-wide water main under Coast Highway at Goldenrod Avenue was completed Thursday evening and a 30-foot-wide muddy hole was filled in, allowing northbound traffic through.

“The whole process just took a lot less time than we thought,” Seville said.

The water main, which pipes drinking water to Laguna Beach, ruptured at 10 p.m. Wednesday, flooding the street.

Until permanent repairs are completed, however, there will be partial closures of northbound Coast Highway between Marguerite and Goldenrod avenues, Seville said.

Seville said that until about Tuesday, one lane on Coast Highway will be closed each day between 9 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. After 3:30 p.m., both lanes will remain open.