Highway 1 in Big Sur will reopen following landslides, road repairs
Highway 1 will reopen through Big Sur on Friday afternoon following a multi-day closure caused by storm damage and slide activity.
Caltrans District 5 will open the roadway at Mud Creek by 3:30 p.m., according to a news release.
The agency closed the roadway between Paul’s Slide and Mud Creek on Tuesday for traveler safety ahead of rain storms. The road reopened at Paul’s Slide on Thursday, but remained closed near Mud Creek while cleanup continued.
Caltrans has been closing portions of Highway 1 routinely during the rain season as a precaution following major landslides that wiped out part of the roadway during the winter of 2016 and 2017.
Slide activity, rocks, boulders and cracks in the road prompted the agency to keep the road closed at Mud Creek.
Crews worked to place grout-like material in the cracks, remove broken pieces of material and resurface the road, said Jim Shivers, a Caltrans District 5 spokesman.
“Our goal right now is to get the highway open for the many people who rely on it,” he said.
Travelers might encounter traffic control at the Mud Creek site during the weekend as crews perform additional work, Shivers said.
Maintenance workers will monitor the location and notify Caltrans if slide movement accelerates or site conditions change, according to the release.
Shivers said drivers should feel safe using the road to travel through the area.
“The fact that it’s reopening today means we have confidence in the work that we did,” he said.
This story was originally published March 8, 2019 at 1:33 PM.
