PCH partially reopens to Malibu residents and school buses in Palisade Fire burn zone

MALIBU, Calif. (KABC) -- Pacific Coast Highway on Thursday morning reopened to Malibu residents who live in the Palisades Fire burn area, school buses and essential business workers, marking another step in the ongoing recovery from the destructive wildfire.

The stretch of PCH between Chautauqua Boulevard and Carbon Beach Terrace had been closed to traffic due to the fire and subsequent storms that triggered massive mudslides.

Police and sheriff's deputies were on site at checkpoints, providing information to motorists about how to obtain access passes. National Guard members were also on hand.

Malibu City Hall was also making passes available from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., as was the Disaster Recovery Center on Pico Boulevard from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Despite the partial reopening, PCH remained reduced to one lane of traffic in each direction with a speed limit of 25 mph. Some intersections' traffic lights were flashing red and should be treated as a four-way stop, officials said.

With help from the Caruso Family Foundation, Northern California-based company Samara and Airbnb will construct and install factory-built homes that only take five to six months to make and can be installed in as little as a few weeks.

Although some stakeholders expressed support for the reopening, others said they had mixed feelings.

"Every day they change what's going to be open and what isn't," Pacific Palisades resident Paula Griffin told ABC7. "We have this app where we're all on. Somebody will say early in the morning: 'What was it like? Who's been up yet?'

"It's supposed to be a hard closure on PCH but I see people coming south," Griffin added. "So, you never know. It changes every day -- day to day, just like it did after the fire."