Driving around ‘road closed’ signs on Highway 1 could bring a big fine

Don’t go past the blockades!

For people who get caught trying to go around construction-zone blockades along the Big Sur stretch of Highway 1, the cost can be as steep as the terrain.

Caltrans officials said the CHP cites people who try to go past road closures designed to keep vehicles, bicyclists, hikers and pedestrians out of harm’s way in the Highway 1 construction zones.

For instance, according to a secondhand report shared at the Aug. 15 meeting of the Cambria Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, two women who tried to circumvent the closures in the Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge area wound up with two flat tires … and a fine of $2,500.

“When the sign says the road is closed, it’s closed for good reasons,” said Joe Erwin, Caltrans project manager at Mud Creek.

Landslides earlier this year buried and destroyed the road, and the area isn’t yet safe for the public. Closures are to protect the people being kept out of the construction area, those bringing supplies and equipment into it, and crews working on the project.

This story was originally published August 16, 2017 at 11:45 AM with the headline "Driving around ‘road closed’ signs on Highway 1 could bring a big fine."