Fiber optic line coming to Malibu Canyon next month Play

Construction crews will begin laying a fiber optic line in the pavement in Malibu Canyon next month. This is a government project, and incredibly, the installation of an underground fiber line under the road does not include taking down the other fiber lines already up on poles in Malibu Canyon.

A little-known government agency called the Las Virgenes-Malibu Council of Governments is installing the new underground fiber line.

For $11 million, this will connect the city halls at five local cities that make up the Council of Governments — Malibu, Calabasas, Agoura Hills, Hidden Hills, and Westlake Village.

There are no plans yet, though, to connect this fiber to anything other than the cities.

It might seem logical that the installation of a fiber line up Malibu Canyon would mean that the heavy black communication lines on poles would be removed, but that's not going to happen. The Council of Governments says this communication line might at some point be used by a private company to offer internet service to homes and businesses, but there are no plans for that yet.

Get ready for lane closures this fall on Civic Center Way, Webb Way, and Stuart Ranch Road, but mostly on Malibu Canyon Road. This will affect an access route — and an evacuation route — for Malibu during a time when PCH is restricted at times for construction.

There are plans to hook the fiber installed by the City of Malibu on PCH into this new fiber network, but it's not exactly clear why Hidden Hills or Calabasas would need access to the fiber lines on PCH.