MALIBU—On Tuesday, May 26, the city of Malibu announced that Southern California Edison (SCE) has started construction on the Merlin Circuit Targeted Undergrounding Project along approximately 3.2 miles of Latigo Canyon Road in Malibu as part of ongoing wildfire mitigation and electric reliability efforts.
This important infrastructure project will relocate overhead electrical equipment underground to help decrease wildfire risk, improve long-term fire safety, and strengthen electrical reliability during extreme weather conditions. Undergrounding utilities can help protect the power system from high winds, vegetation impacts, and other hazards that may contribute to wildfires and outages.
Construction is anticipated to continue through the third quarter of 2026 and will generally take place Monday – Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Residents and motorists should expect intermittent lane closures, minor traffic delays, construction noise, and traffic control measures in the work area along Latigo Canyon Rd during active operations.
Construction activities may include:
• Trenching and utility potholing
• Installation of conduits, vaults, and manholes
• Cable installation
• Asphalt restoration
• Removal of overhead electrical equipment
• Vegetation trimming for safe construction access
For more details visit: www.sce.com/tug. For questions or concerns email SCEprojects@sce.com or call 1-888-331-0010.
By Danny Jones