Update: Rocks and debris close new stretch of Highway 1 in SLO County
Update, 8 p.m.: Falling rocks and debris have again closed Highway 1, this time from the elephant seal parking lot north of San Simeon to south of Ragged Point.
Crews will assess the area on Monday morning, and there is currently no estimated time for reopening.
Barricades, cones and message and directional signs are in place at both ends of the closure to alert motorists traveling in the area.
Update, 11 a.m.: Highway 1 between Ragged Point in San Luis Obispo County and Big Sur has reopened, according to a news release from Caltrans.
Motorists should be aware of winter weather and Caltrans, maintenance crews and emergency vehicles along the highway, the release said.
9:45 a.m.:
Motorists traveling along the Big Sur coastline will need to find an alternate route after heavy rainfall caused rockslides that closed Highway 1, according to Caltrans.
Highway 1 between Ragged Point in San Luis Obispo County and near Deetjen’s Big Sur Inn in Monterey County is closed while Caltrans workers remove rocks and debris.
The distance between Ragged Point, about 1.45 miles south of the San Luis Obispo County and the Monterey County line, and Deetjen’s Big Sur Inn, at post mile 42.1, is roughly 44 miles, according to the release.
There is no estimate as to when Highway 1 will reopen. Caltrans maintenance workers will conduct assessments of the road during daylight hours, the release said.
Storms regularly close the scenic stretch of Highway 1. In October, a rockslide at Ragged Point closed the highway for nearly a week.
This story was originally published December 26, 2021 at 9:42 AM.
