Update: Highway 1 near Big Sur expected to reopen Monday following rock slides
Update, 4:17 p.m.:
The closure of Highway 1 to BigSur is expected to last through Monday, according to a press release from Caltrans District 5 on Sunday.
Crews cleared debris from the highway “at 15 locations from Ragged Point to Paul’s Slide, at 13 locations from Paul’s Slide to Rat Creek and at 21 locations from Rat Creek to the northern closure 2.5 miles south of Big Sur.”
This is in addition to cleanup of slides on HIghway 1 both north and south of the closure parameters.
Crews are trying to complete cleanup before more storms hit the area as soon as Wednesday.
They cleaned debris from Paul’s Slide during daylight hours Sunday and will continue on Monday, the release said.
“Assessments today did indicate that culverts were open and flowing in areas below the Dolan Fire burn scar,” the release said. “Additionally, despite scores of slides, there was no evidence of slip-outs below the roadway, only the cleanup of soil, rocks, and trees, which have come down from above the roadway.”
Caltrans District 5 will announce updates on the status of the highway closure as they receive them.
Update, 11:02 a.m.:
Highway 1 has no estimated time for reopening following multiple rock slides on Saturday, a press release from Caltrans District 5 announced at 11 a.m.
Caltrans maintenance crews were “performing daytime storm patrol within the closure parameters and working to clear debris from multiple smaller slip-outs in the roadway,” the release said.
Another crew will arrive Sunday at Paul’s Slide to “clear debris from behind the catchment area where rocks and dirt have reached the top of the concrete barriers at four locations,” according to the release.
The highway originally closed Friday evening due to a slide just south of Esalen in Monterey County.
Original story:
Rock slides closed a stretch of Highway 1 on New Year’s Eve as a winter storm slammed into the Central Coast.
The scenic highway was closed from Ragged Point, located 2.1 miles south of the border between Monterey and San Luis Obispo counties, to 2.5 miles south of Big Sur in Monterey County as of 9 a.m. Saturday, according to Caltrans’ road conditions site.
“Motorists are advised to use an alternate route,” Caltrans said on the site.
The closure comes just days after another landslide.
On Thursday morning, rocks and debris fell on Highway 1 south of the Paul’s Slide area near Nacimiento-Fergusson Road, momentarily causing some traffic delays, Caltrans tweeted Thursday.
Crews quickly cleared the debris and the road was fully open as of Thursday afternoon, the agency said via Twitter.
It was unclear Saturday morning how long the current closure will last.
This story was originally published December 31, 2022 at 9:13 AM.