Update: Highway 1 closed near Big Sur due to rock slide

Update, 10:15 a.m.:

Highway 1 remained closed near Big Sur on Sunday morning following a rock slide, according to Caltrans.

Both directions of Highway 1 were blocked to traffic from 2.3 miles south of the border between San Luis Obispo and Monterey counties to 2.5 miles south of Big Sur.

“Geo-tech engineers are assessing the damage before cleanup,” Caltrans’ District 5 office said in a Twitter post at 9 a.m.

Caltrans did not have an estimated date when the road will reopen.

The closure does not affect travelers on the highway past Big Sur through Carmel, the agency said.

All traffic should use Highway 101 to access Monterey County from San Luis Obispo County, according to the California Highway Patrol incident page.

Travelers should not take Nacimiento-Fergusson Road to avoid “non-negotiable roadway conditions,” the CHP said.

Update, 3:30 p.m. Saturday:

Highway 1 at the San Luis Obispo and Monterey County line is expected to reopen Sunday morning following a rock slide.

The rock slide is described as “not significant in size,” according to a Caltrans tweet. The highway will remain closed until Sunday to “maintain safety and due to changeable conditions,” Caltrans said.

Caltrans asked that people be aware of emergency responders in the area.

Businesses along the highway appear to be unaffected. As of 2:30 p.m., Hearst Castle remained open.

Original story:

Highway 1 is closed 2.3 miles south of the San Luis Obispo and Monterey County line to 2.5 miles south of Big Sur due to a rock slide in the area.

The closure is northbound at mile marker 72 near Ragged Point, according to Caltrans.

Motorists are advised to seek alternate routes. Anyone who goes to Gorda will have to turn around, the CHP traffic log stated at 1:22 p.m.

“Rocks are falling and wreaking havoc with the cars,” Broadcastify scanner traffic stated about 12:54 p.m. “(I am) not sure how far up the slides are occurring,” one person said.

The CHP told The Tribune they have no other updates at this time.

This story was originally published December 3, 2022 at 2:09 PM.