Update: Highway 1 might take up to a week to reopen after rockslide, Caltrans says
A rockslide on Highway 1 on Wednesday morning closed a section of the scenic thoroughfare from Ragged Point in San Luis Obispo County to Gorda in Monterey County, according to Caltrans.
Early assessments indicate that Highway 1 may be closed for up to one week, according to a Caltrans news release.
Caltrans photos of the roadway showed a pile of rocks partially blocking the roadway.
As of Wednesday afternoon, the highway remained closed in both directions at Ragged Point just north of the Ragged Point Inn, according to the release.
A full closure of southbound Highway 1 has been put in place at Gorda. Travelers can still drive south along the scenic roadway from Carmel to Gorda.
Early Wednesday, Caltrans District 5 spokesman Jim Shivers said Highway 46 West and Highway 101 are detours for travelers heading north and Highway 68 and Highway 101 are options for those going southbound.
Shivers wrote via email that the slide covers the northbound lane and part of the southbound lane. As of 10:30 Wednesday, crews were assessing the slide’s size and stability.
As of early Wednesday afternoon, Caltrans said maintenance and geotechnical teams are on site and continue with their assessments of the area.
In addition to the rockslide, there is some concern about an unsupported rock on the slopes immediately above the roadway, according to the release.
It is expected that the work area for machinery and equipment to address these conditions will need to cover the entire road, Caltrans said.
Caltrans has contracted with Papich Construction of Arroyo Grande to make the repairs. They are expected to cost roughly $500,000.
Will rockslide impact North Coast businesses, events?
Mel McColloch, president of the Cambria Chamber of Commerce, spoke Wednesday about how the rockslide could affect North Coast businesses.
“No matter how big the slide is, it’s a big impact for our local businesses, the retail shops, restaurants and motels,” McColloch said via phone.
The slide happened near the end of the month-long Cambria Scarecrow Festival, which typically draws scores of out-of-towners to the North Coast.
However, McColloch noted, “Regardless of whether Highway 1 is closed north of here or not, people love the scarecrows so much, they will still come to see them.”
This story was originally published October 27, 2021 at 10:04 AM.
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