Highway 1 remains closed from Ragged Point to Fullers Point
Check out this amazing drone video of #Hwy1 washout at Rat Creek about 15 miles south of #BigSur. Our crews are on site securing it, assessing damage & starting clean-up/ repairs. Reminder: the road is OPEN from #Carmel thru town of Big Sur. @bigsurkate @BigSurCC @CHP_Coastal pic.twitter.com/rB193DzXhL
— Caltrans District 5 (@CaltransD5) January 29, 2021
Update posted Jan. 30:
–A debris flow from the hillside above Rat Creek on Highway 1 on the Big Sur coast overwhelmed drainage infrastructure, flowed across the highway, and eroded the road resulting in the complete loss of a segment of Highway 1 at that location, according to Caltrans.
Rat Creek is located at PM 30.2 and is two miles south of the Esalen Institute. It is about 1 mile south of the origin of the Dolan Fire in the Dolan Canyon area of Big Sur and is within the burn scar area.
On Thursday, Jan. 28, Caltrans crews, working from the north doing a post rainstorm assessment of the roadway, discovered debris flow across the highway at Rat Creek. Before dark on Thursday, the lane on the coast side of the road had washed out.
On Thursday evening, Caltrans entered into a $5 million emergency contract with Papich Construction of San Luis Obispo County to assist with the repair of the highway slide-out.
On Friday, Jan. 29, Caltrans assessment crews and emergency contractors arrived at daybreak to discover that both lanes of the highway had washed out.
At this point, the damage assessment team has not issued a report on today’s findings and will continue to work this weekend. The current closure of Highway 1 from Ragged Point to Fuller’s Point just south of Deetjen’s Big Sur remains in effect.
Businesses on Highway 1 from Carmel to Big Sur and south to the full closure remain open. Barricades, cones, as well as message and directional signs are in place at both ends of the closure to alert motorists traveling in the area.
Original story posted Jan. 29:
A chunk of Highway 1 collapses due to storm
State Route 1 closed through Big Sur
–The California Highway Patrol Monterey division shared a photo Thursday of a part of Highway 1 that had collapsed near Big Sur into the Pacific Ocean due to heavy rains.
The highway was washed away by debris flow near Rat Creek, which is about 30 miles north of the San Luis Obispo County line.
Caltrans closed much of the scenic roadway earlier in the week to prepared for the heavy rains. Caltrans is expected to be onsite today to assess the damage.
CHP Captain Kyle Foster said, “State Route 1 between MPM 40 and the San Luis Obispo county line continues to be impacted by inclement weather, debris flow, flooding, and slides. This area is closed to the public. Remain clear of the area and plan alternate routes. Please continue to exercise extreme caution on rural roads, especially at night. Please see Caltrans website for up-to-date information on road closures. Stay safe.”
