County to truck in 4,800 tons of rock to save Point Dume road Play

L.A. County plans to bring in 4,800 tons of armor rocks — weighing up to 5 tons each — on an emergency basis to shore up and protect the Point Dume Access Road.

Heavy wave action a week ago washed away a 250-foot-long section of beach, creating an 8-foot vertical sand cliff directly under the pavement of the road. That road is the only vehicle access to the public beach on the west side of the point.

Pedestrian access from Westward Beach down to the point remains open on the damaged road’s inland side. The trails down to the beach from the subdivision on top of the point remain open as well, but there are only six parking places there. The road leading to 340 parking places, three public bathroom buildings and a lifeguard building remains closed.

The L.A. County Department of Beaches and Harbors has obtained an emergency permit from the state Coastal Commission to allow the work. Crews plan to extend the existing rock wall by 225 feet to the west, toward the Sunset Restaurant. The wall will be 48 feet wide.

About 3,200 tons of armor stone will be brought in from a quarry. Those rocks weigh 3 to 5 tons each. The big armor stone will sit atop 2,100 tons of smaller rock, and all that will sit on top of a heavy filter fabric foundation.

The state Coastal Commission granted the emergency coastal permit to the county on Thursday.