Cracks above Hwy. 1 slide force Caltrans to shift gears on Big Sur excavation

A month after adding remote-controlled heavy equipment to the work at the Regent’s Slide closure on Highway 1, new slide activity and surface cracking is showing up in the slope immediately above the project area, Caltrans said in a news release Wednesday.

And that’s required Caltrans to shift gears and shore up the hillside further before more excavation can proceed.

The area near Lucia closed on Feb. 9, 2024, after tons of rock, mud and debris slid down the steep hillside, onto the highway surface and down to the sea below.

Monitoring devices and field observations revealed the new problems, spokesman Kevin Drabinski wrote in the release.

“Given the complexities of the site conditions and the priority to complete repairs in a safe and timely manner, Caltrans has engaged an outside professional geotechnical consulting firm to support the repair effort at Regent’s Slide,” he said.

Into the slope above the work area, crews are “installing dozens of shear dowels, steel bars approximately 60 ft. in length,” Drabinski said. “These shear dowels are drilled into the slope and grouted in place in a 10-foot-by-10-foot grid fashion.”

“Shear dowels were previously installed in the slope immediately north of the area now exhibiting movement and have been successful there in limiting further slide activity,” he said. “Those crews are working seven days a week and extended hours.”

After the dowels have been installed and the area is confirmed safe, Caltrans hopes to resume the excavation work

Regent’s Slide repairs are now expected to keep Highway 1 in this area closed through summer 2025.

“Caltrans will continue to provide regular updates on progress on these slide repairs and an estimated reopening date,” the spokesman said.

Many areas along the All-American Highway route remain open

Despite the closure, visitors can access more than 100 miles of Highway 1 between Cambria and Carmel, all but the 6.8-mile segment one mile south of the Esalen Institute to two miles north of Lucia.

Travelers from Southern California can reach the communities of Lucia, Gorda, Ragged Point, San Simeon and Cambria. Travelers from Northern California can still access historic bridges, waterfalls, restaurants, and lodging amenities along the Big Sur coast.

Road information and updates can also be found on Caltrans District 5 Social Media platforms: X/Twitter at: @CaltransD5, Facebook at: Caltrans Central Coast (District 5) and Instagram at: Caltrans_D5.

For more information about transportation projects and funding, visit: Build.ca.gov.

This story was originally published May 22, 2025 at 10:00 AM.

Kathe Tanner

The Tribune

805-781-7904 (voicemails only)

Kathe Tanner has been writing about the people and places of SLO County’s North Coast since 1981, first as a columnist and then also as a reporter. Her career has included stints as a bakery owner, public relations director, radio host, trail guide and jewelry designer. She has been a resident of Cambria for more than four decades, and if it’s happening in town, Kathe knows about it.