UC Santa Cruz Professor talks about the future of West Cliff Drive
SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (KION-TV)- UPDATE JAN 24, 2024 10:03 P.M- As crew continue to repair the damaged portion of West Cliff Drive, questions are being raised about how long the popular road can be protected.
"There's absolutely nothing we can do to hold back the Pacific Ocean.” UC Santa Cruz Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences Gary Griggs said. “Anything we build is temporary or short term now that may be 50 years or 20 years or 10 years. And so the question I think is how long do we want something to last?”
It's also left some people wondering about the costs from the city, going in to battle mother nature.
“They can't just leave it obviously… I'm sure it's costing a fortune and if they could do it less expensively, Santa Cruz resident Sara Latta said.
Professor Griggs goes on to say the situation puts leaders in a tough spot in determining what this effort is worth to the community.
However, Griggs says with sea level rise and the potential for more future storms, it's something the community will have to figure out.
“I think there's this incredible attraction to being right on the ocean front. But there's a price to pay for that. Not only is a very high financial price, but there's a big environmental impact price," Griggs said.
Repair work continues at West Cliff Drive
ORIGINAL NOV 6, 2023 7:00 P.M. - On Monday afternoon, The City of Santa Cruz shared an update as crews continue to repair West Cliff Drive.
City officials say that crews are continuing excavate at 920 and 932 West Cliff Drive.
Crews started building the concrete formwork for the retaining walls at those specific locations.
Crews will start concrete work may start as early as 5 a.m. this Thursday and possibly again next Monday and Wednesday, Nov. 13 & 15.
City officials said that work at 1016 West Cliff is on hold as study the construction feasibility of various alternatives.
Most of West Cliff Drive has been closed to one-way traffic since early January due to the winter storms damaging multiple parts of the road.
In September, the city said crews are constructing infill walls at various locations on West Cliff Drive where the cliff failed.
