Hwy. 41 closed between Atascadero and Morro Bay — and a fix won’t happen quickly
Drivers may have to wait a while before they can travel on Highway 41 from Atascadero to Morro Bay after this week’s storm forced the closure of the road, Caltrans said in a news release Wednesday.
The complete closure of nearly three miles of the twisting, scenic state highway on the west side of Atascadero — caused by a landslide, downed trees and wires on March 14 — won’t be resolved quickly, and Caltrans spokesperson Alexa Bertola said Thursday morning that the agency doesn’t yet know what that time frame will be.
“This is expected to be a long-term closure,” Caltrans said in its release.
The closure is near Atascadero and spans from San Gabriel Road, about 1.6 miles from Highway 101, to the intersection with Los Altos Road, more than 11 miles from Highway 1.
In the meantime, people looking to drive between the coast and North County will have to use longer alternate routes via Highways 1, 101 and 46.
It’s the first long-term through-traffic shutdown of the busy highway since January 2017, “the longest one in recent years,” Bertola said.
It’s unclear how long the closure might last, but before the road can reopen, geotechnical specialists must analyze the slide area above the highway.
“They’ve been onsite, still making assessments,” Bertola said, adding that she didn’t know when the geotech team would submit its diagnosis. She said Thursday that a contractor was at the site, cleaning up the area.
People trapped between the closure spots must navigate serpentine back roads to get out of the area, but at least they have other ways out, unlike Highway 1 residents trapped by more than one landslide closure along the Big Sur coast.
Caltrans has placed message and directional signs to warn drivers about the closure, and motorists should plan ahead and allow more time for their journey.
For traffic updates on other state highways in San Luis Obispo County, call Caltrans at 805-549-3318 or go to dot.ca.gov/caltrans-near-me/district-5.
This story was originally published March 16, 2023 at 10:40 AM.
