Roads shored up after 6 weeks of work by Marines on Catalina Island

A narrow, windy roadway tracing high cliffs and steep drop-offs on Catalina Island has now been shored up and is no longer at risk of washing out during rain storms thanks to some recent work by Marines.

For the last six weeks, a group from the Marine Wing Support Squadron 373 out of Marine Corps Air Station Miramar has been digging out, smoothing and compacting roads on the island in what was real-world training for the Marines and a savings for the locals that will keep the island’s commerce, its residents and tourism moving.

The project was a collaboration between the Catalina Island Conservancy, one of the state’s oldest land trusts, and the Department of Defense’s Innovative Readiness Training Program, which pairs military with civilian communities for the common good.