Driving to Big Sur from SLO County? Watch the speed limit signs — they’ve changed
Those planning to take a scenic jaunt north on Highway 1 toward Big Sur should allocate a little more time for the trip, now that signs have been installed announcing lower speed limits in three consecutive areas.
Speed limits from the San Luis Obispo/Monterey county line to a point 55 miles to the north now range from 40 to 50 mph, where they used to be 55 mph, according to Caltrans spokesman Kevin Drabinski.
The speed changes along the often steep, curving highway have been a long time coming.
The state’s announcement of the projected speed reductions on that part of the All-American Byway was released a year ago.
The delay in enforcing the new speeds was because it took that long for the new sign locations to be finalized and then the signs to be made and installed, Drabinski said.
Engineering and traffic surveys produced corridor analysis that showed common elements of concern for all three segments in which the speed limits were lowered.
Those were “limited shoulder width, a high density of bicyclists and the presence of pedestrians,” the March 2024 release said.
You can’t drive the entire route yet
For now, those heading from scenic Ragged Point Inn and the nearby county line north will find only the first 27 miles of the affected route is accessible.
That’s because troublesome, successive landslides in the area have kept parts of the roadway closed for more than two years.
Caltrans doesn’t yet know when the scenic highway will reopen from Cambria to Carmel because of a continuing slide area at Regent’s Slide.
Drabinski said he expects to get an update within a few weeks about a possible reopening date.
Where were the speed limits changed?
For the first 14 miles north of the county line, the new speed limits are 45 mph to just north of Sand Dollar Beach. Between there and the road closure, the speed limit is 45 mph.
From just north of Sand Dollar Beach picnic area to just north of Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, the speed limit is 50 mph.
In areas just beyond Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park to just south of Coast Ridge Road the speed limit is 40 mph.
Caltrans and the California Coastal Commission also collaborated to decrease, not increase, the number of signs along the rural roadway known around the world for its spectacular scenery.
Net reduction was about 27 signs “within the project corridor,” according to the commission’s March 14 staff report about the coastal development permit granted to the Highway 1 Sign Speed Limit Project.
So far, nobody’s griped to Drabinski about the slower speeds, he said, noting that drivers along that stretch are usually “all about the journey” — not getting to a destination as quickly as possible.
For now, that trip is especially delightful, he said, with the green hills, wildflowers, nicer weather and slightly lower traffic volumes.
“It’s such a worthwhile journey,” Drabinski added.
