Body found near Highway 1 repair zone in Big Sur
Work to repair damage done to Highway 1 at Rat Creek in Big Sur was halted Wednesday morning after a woman’s body was discovered nearby, Caltrans spokesman Kevin Drabinski confirmed that evening.
He said a contractor found the body “about 200 feet outside the area where they were working,” at approximately 10 a.m. Wednesday.
Drabinski said the contractor closed down the project immediately and called law enforcers and Caltrans.
What happens next at the job site “is pending direction from law enforcement,” the spokesman said.
Drabinski expects that Caltrans and the contractor will get any subsequent information from Monterey County Sheriff’s Office, after officials confirm the death and then notify family members about it.
It’s not known yet how the investigation might impact Caltrans’ plan to reopen the repaired highway by early summer, perhaps in July, depending on effects of any more rainfall this season, as Drabinski estimated during a March 17 presentation to the North Coast Advisory Council.
Highway 1 closure at Rat Creek
A section of Highway 1 washed out in late January after a major winter storm dropped a huge amount of rain on the area over the course of two days. That rain pushed debris from the Dolan Fire into the area’s drainage pipes, clogging them and creating a backup of water.
About five miles of Highway 1 are currently closed to all vehicle, pedestrian and bicycle traffic.
The northern turnaround is two miles north of Rat Creek at the Lime Creek Bridge at PM 32.1, and the southern closure is at Big Creek Vista Point at PM 27.3.
Crews are working seven days a week during daylight hours to fix the scenic route, according to Caltrans.
Drabinski told the NCAC that $11.5 million is the current cost estimate for repairs for Rat Creek and burn scar areas to the north that were also damaged or block by the deluge and landslides.
