Caltrans prepares Highway 1 near Big Sur for winter after a scorching summer
In preparation for winter after a fire-filled summer, Caltrans crews are working to remove boulders and rocks that were unsettled by the Dolan Fire along Highway 1.
As of Thursday, the Dolan Fire near Big Sur had reached 124,924 acres and was 98% contained after burning for more than three months, according to the U.S. Forest Service. Although the wildfire is still active in some areas, it moved away from Highway 1 in mid-September, allowing the highway to reopen.
In early September, Caltrans contracted S. Chaves Construction Inc. of San Luis Obispo for a $2 million project to inspect the hillside and install emergency drainage measures in the area affected by the Dolan Fire, according to Caltrans public information officer Kevin Drabinski.
On Wednesday, Caltrans was seen removing boulders from the hillside along Highway 1 north of Kirk Creek. Caltrans public information officer Jim Shivers said there has been “extensive work,” involving rock scaling, at four sites along the Dolan Fire burn scar so far.
More rock scaling and removal efforts will take place Friday and early next week, according to Caltrans.
“A rock which was maybe settled back in the ground is now exposed and doesn’t have the earth and roots that it once had holding it in place, and on those occasions our Geotech crew will make an assessment and remove it,” Drabinski said.
According to Drabinski, this is routine work. However, he said, a burned area always presents unique challenges.
“As with any burn area, we’re especially concerned with debris flow and how that will affect our culvert and drainage systems,” Drabinski said.
Drabinski previously told The Tribune that drainage measures, specifically drainage inlets, provide pathways for the hillside debris and water to roll off the cliffs without overwhelming Highway 1.
Caltrans and S. Chaves Construction will need to evaluate the hundreds of drainage inlets that may have been affected by the Dolan Fire.
The assessment project is scheduled through the end of November, according to Drabinski.
Shivers said during scaling operations, traffic controls may delay vehicles for about 10 to 20 minutes. However Highway 1 remains open.
