You can now drive a little farther north on Highway 1

You can drive a little farther north on Highway 1, Caltrans says, even as the Mud Creek Slide continues to block traffic a few miles north of the Monterey County line.

As of Saturday, traffic could continue five miles north of Ragged Point on Highway 1 before being turned back, according to a Caltrans news release. Previously, northbound traffic on the scenic highway was turned around at Ragged Point.

Now, traffic can proceed as far as Salmon Creek, just south of the ranger station that’s three miles north of the county line.

Meanwhile, periodic access for delivery vehicles at Paul’s Slide, 21 miles north of the county line, continues from 5:30 to 6 a.m. and 7 to 7:30 p.m. Saturday through Thursday, and 5:30 to 8 a.m. and 6 to 7:30 p.m. Friday. A single caravan will be able to get through heading north and south at Paul’s Slide at noon on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays; vehicles must be in line by noon, and there may be a 45-minute delay in the road opening.

Caltrans continues to work on a new bridge over Pfeiffer Canyon, 45 miles north of the county line, the release says. Girders are being fabricated in Vallejo and sent to the Stockton area for painting, before being trucked to the bridge site.

A tentative timeline calls for the completion of an abutment on the south side by mid-July, with the north-side abutment already finished. Steel girders will be assembled on site from July 6 through July 30, with the “bridge launch” is set for July 31 to Aug. 6, with deck construction to follow and public access expected in mid- to late September.

Rains early this year caused the failure of the Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge and the saturated earth gave way, creating the two major slides along the highway.

This story was originally published June 25, 2017 at 5:05 PM with the headline "You can now drive a little farther north on Highway 1."