Hwy. 1 in Big Sur will remain closed due to ‘significant’ slide activity, Caltrans says
Highway 1 between Mud Creek and Paul’s Slide in Big Sur will remain closed until further notice due to “significant slide activity” in both areas, Caltrans said Wednesday in an emailed news release.
“Crews inspected all areas earlier today and found several potentially unstable perched boulders that have been working their way down the mountain at both locations,” the agency said in an email.
The south approach of Mud Creek, within the section of highway closed off by locked gates, has slumped by one to two feet since the storm began on Tuesday, Caltrans said. The area has seen a “total of three to five feet vertical displacement since last Thursday, Feb. 28.”
To the north, mud is flowing off the hillside in the Paul’s Slide area, and the temporary guardrail is “reaching full capacity,” Caltrans said.
Caltrans has closed the highway multiple times during this winter storm season as a precaution following major landslides on the highway during the 2016-17 winter season.
“Caltrans maintenance crews and contractor John Madonna are performing herculean efforts to clear the roadway as quickly as possible,” Caltrans said in the emailed release.
Caltrans crews will assess the road Thursday and provide an update by that afternoon, the agency said.
This story was originally published March 6, 2019 at 4:45 PM.
