Aging bridge on scenic Highway 1 in Big Sur could be replaced. Here’s how to weigh in
As Caltrans continues to project a late-spring reopening for Highway 1 at the troublesome Paul’s Slide area, the agency’s planners are also working on a project that would replace a nearby bridge on the road to Big Sur.
A virtual meeting to explain to the public the impacts of the Limekiln Creek Bridge Replacement Project is set for 5:30 p.m. Wednesday.
As proposed, Caltrans would replace the existing concrete bridge on the two-lane undivided highway, according to an agency news release.
The approximately 580-foot-long, deteriorating bridge was built in 1957 and has eight piers and two abutments.
“The plan is to maintain highway access during construction, the details vary depending on the alternative,” Caltrans said. “Depending on the alternative selected, construction would take between four and four and a half years.”
The proposed project is within the Limekiln State Park property. The park’s entrance is directly off the highway at the southern abutment of the bridge, and there’s beach access under the bridge from the park.
The meeting link is available on the Caltrans website. For further details about the meeting, contact senior environmental planner Matt Fowler at 805-779-0793 or email matt.c.fowler@dot.ca.gov.
Work progressing at Paul’s Slide on Hwy 1
Caltrans also said realigning the section of Highway 1 at Paul’s Slide, which has been closed for more than a year, remains a top priority.
“Repair crews have concentrated their efforts on grading of the site and continued to deliver fill material to the south end of the repair to support the new alignment of the road,” Caltrans said in the release.
The agency said once “further progress has been made on bringing up the elevation of the south end of the repair, crews will conduct additional surveys of the site to establish the exact path of the new course of the road.”
The new road could be as much as 60 feet higher, and “slightly inland from its previous course,” the release said.
Caltrans added design on the all-important drainage infrastructure is done, and crews have started fabricating parts for the five new independent culvert systems that will draw off the runoff underflow that can help cause the hillside to slide.
Future work includes installing protective rockfall barriers on the northbound side, installing the drainage elements and a guardrail on the southbound side.
This story was originally published January 16, 2024 at 12:52 PM.
