Roads, highways are closed across SLO County as heavy rain brings flooding. Here’s where
Flooding has brought closures and traffic to roads across San Luis Obispo County during a historic winter storm hitting the Central Coast on Monday.
Almost every city in SLO County is seeing road closures as emergency responders work to direct traffic.
Large stretches of Highway 101 and its connections to cities like SLO have also been shut down. Highway 101’s southbound traffic starting near Santa Rosa Road was closed at 1:48 p.m., CHP said.
Here is a roundup of road closures and other traffic problems across the county:
Last updated: 2:40 p.m. Monday, Jan. 9, 2023.
For more information on road closures, go to https://roads.dot.ca.gov.
SLO closes several roads and highway ramps
On Monday, the California Highway Patrol closed northbound Highway 101 through to the Marsh Street on- and off-ramps after receiving a request from the San Luis Obispo Police Department.
The following San Luis Obispo intersections were closed as of 10:57 a.m., according to a City of SLO Twitter post:
- Los Osos Valley Road at Foothill Boulevard
- Tank Farm Road and Higuera Street
- Oceanaire and Avalon
- Marsh and Higuera streets
- Oceanaire and Galleon through Madonna
- Calle Joaquin at LOVR closed in both directions
Highway 1 northbound and southbound between SLO and Morro Bay was closed at San Bernardino Creek, CHP said.
Higuera Street was closed between Buckley Street and the northbound Highway 101 on-ramp due to roadway flooding, CHP said.
The Madonna Road off-ramp was also closed.
North County cities close several key roadways
CHP said Highway 41 was under a “soft closure” between San Gabriel Road and Los Altos Road.
The city of Paso Robles closed five roads until the flooding subsides, according to a Paso Robles Fire & Emergency Services news release.
According to the release, the city has added additional crews to respond to weather-related emergency calls. The following streets will remain closed until the flooding is manageable:
- 10th Street and Olive Street
- 21st Street between Pine Street and Riverside Ave
- North River Road between Union Road and the Monterey County Line
- South River Road between Niblick Road and 13th Street
- Scott Street between Creston Road and Commerce Way
“The National Weather Service (NWS) is advising this is the first of two significant rain events for Paso Robles,” the release said. “This storm is forecast to bring 1⁄4” per hour through this evening. After a brief interruption, a second storm is forecast for the morning of January 10th bringing possible thunderstorms and approximately 1” of rain per hour.”
Adelaida Road was closed entirely to traffic after a possible sinkhole was found in the roadway east of Paso Robles.
Highway 41 from Atascadero to Morro Bay was placed under a soft closure as of 12:19 p.m., with only emergency vehicles allowed through, CHP said.
The following Atascadero locations are closed, according a city of Atascadero news release.
Cambria road closures
In Cambria, Windsor Boulevard was closed at Highway 1 until further notice, cutting off the Park Hill neighborhood from highway access.
Residents can exit through the road on Fiscalini Ranch Preserve, but cannot enter, Cambria CSD Fire Chief Justin Vincent said.
“If you choose to leave, be advised that you may not be able to immediately return to your home due to deteriorating road conditions,” Vincent said in a Monday morning email.
Highway 1 near Ragged Point from Elephant Seal Vista to Fullers Point remains closed to all traffic since last week’s closure, CHP said.
South County’s major road closures
The city of Arroyo Grande closed Valley Road at Castillo Del Mar, with a detour routing traffic from Highway 1 to Halcyon Road, the city announced in an Instagram post.
El Camino Real from Oak Park to Robles Road remains closed, the post said.
Meanwhile, the only way in and out of Avila Beach is through San Luis Bay drive following the closure of Ontario Road and Highway 41 to Atascadero, SLO County Public Information Specialist Jeanette Trompeter told The Tribune.
In Avila Beach, Avila Beach Drive between Ontario Road and San Luis Bay Drive, along with San Luis Bay Drive from Highway 101 to Monte Road were closed as of 11:12 a.m., the SLO CountyPublic works Twitter said.
Northbound traffic on Hwy 101 at Avila Beach Drive was also closed due to flooding, SLO County OES said in a Tweet, requesting travelers use alternate routes via Price Canyon Road when heading north.
The intersection of Quintana Road and South Bay Boulevard was closed to traffic as of 12:17 p.m., CHP said, after several vehicles were reported going underwater.
In Grover Beach, the 900-1200 blocks of El Camino Real were closed until further notice, along with North 12th Street from Margariata Avenue to El Camino Real, the city said in a Tweet.
The intersection at Seventh Street and Saratoga Avenue is also closed, the city said in the Tweet.
Flooding has also been reported at Bee Street in Nipomo, the Grover Beach Twitter post said.
In Arroyo Grande, the intersection of State Road 1 and Valley Road was closed due to a fallen tree measuring two feet in diameter blocking the road, according to CHP.
Disruptions in traffic were also reported near the intersection of South Halcyon Road and Cabrillo Highway, due to a fallen tree and a power pole leaning into the roadway.
This story was originally published January 9, 2023 at 2:43 PM.
