Part of Highway 1 cut off after collapse could soon be passable in Big Sur. Here’s when
Highway 1 travelers in Big Sur may finally have access to part of the road that was destroyed by winter storms that surged through the Central Coast last month.
According to a news release from Caltrans, work to stabilize the edge of Highway 1 south of the Rocky Creek Bridge will likely be completed by Memorial Day, or May 27.
“We know how important Highway 1 is to the regional economy, especially during the summer, so we are working to reopen the roadway as quickly and safely as possible while at the same time making it more resilient to future extreme weather events,” Caltrans director Tony Tavares said in the release.
The end of stabilization efforts means the end of the convoys currently being used to get people and goods through the stretch of Highway 1 cut off by the March 30 slip-out that made the road impassible, the release said.
Since the slip-out, Caltrans has conducted geotechnical assessments, improved drainage in the northbound shoulder area and placed concrete barriers along the center line to direct convoys, according to the release.
Caltrans also hired a contractor to drill, install and grout vertical rock dowels through the southbound lane pavement adjacent to the existing west edge of the highway, the release said.
Once these dowels are in place, repair crews will install reinforced shotcrete — or sprayed concrete — in the vertical face of the repair to improve stability, according to the release.
The drainage improvements are intended to help Highway 1 withstand extreme weather events, which are increasingly common in the area, Caltrans said.
It’s unclear how long construction of the rock dowels will take, as wind and rain can be hazardous to the work, the release said.
Until Caltrans stabilizes Highway 1, it will continue using twice daily convoys to move local residents and essential workers through the area, according to the release.
Once the highway edge is fully stabilized, crews will install a temporary signal and reopen the road to all traffic using an alternating one-way signal until the road is fully fixed, Caltrans said.
This story was originally published April 12, 2024 at 2:36 PM.
