Thousands of steel bars drilled into hillside to stabilize massive Highway 1 slide
Crews have drilled thousands of steel bars into the ground at the Regent’s Slide to stabilize the hillside and prevent the slope from continuing to slide.
According to a news release from Caltrans, 3,500 steel rods have been cemented in the hillside at site of the slide.
The bars, which measure at an average of 60 feet long, have stabilized the hillside to prevent further sliding, allowing crews to make progress, the transportation agency said.
The Regent’s Slide has closed a stretch of coastal Highway 1 since February 2024, the release said.
Clearing the area has been a challenge for Caltrans as the hill continued to split and slide even as crews worked to excavate the debris.
But the project may now be turning a corner as the steel bars helped stabilize the hillside.
“Data from an array of monitoring equipment has confirmed that the shear dowels are having the intended effect of mitigating further slide activity which has been a characteristic feature of repairs at Regent’s Slide,” the release said. “As the top-down excavation advances, crews will continue to install shear dowels in the cut slope behind them, providing immediate and long-term reinforcement of the slope.”
Crews have continued to work seven days a week to make progress on the excavation efforts, using remote-controlled bulldozers and excavators to assist in the debris removal, the release said.
The transportation agency says it plans to announce in September a projected date for the full Highway 1 reopening at the site of the Regent’s Slide.
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