Rock slide cleared just North of San Luis Obispo County line
– Highway 1 on the Big Sur coast is fully reopened. Caltrans contractors and maintenance teams have cleared a rockslide on Highway 1 at Post Mile 0.25 in southern Monterey County. Highway 1 is fully open to travelers who may now travel without interruption from Monterey/Carmel area to Cambria/Morro Bay along the Big Sur Coast.
Crews were able to dislodge an undermined rock outcrop the afternoon of Friday Oct. 29. Crews took advantage of the remaining daylight hours on Friday and worked through Saturday October 30 to clear over 20 truckloads of dirt and rocks.
Caltrans reminds motorists to move over and slow down when driving through highway work zones. For traffic updates on other state highways in Monterey County, travelers may contact Caltrans District 5 Public Affairs at (805) 549-3318 or can visit the District 5 website at:https://dot.ca.gov/caltrans-near-me/district-5
Update posted Oct. 30
Update: Highway 1 on Big Sur coast remains closed just north of county line
– Caltrans contractors and maintenance teams continue to respond to a rockslide incident on Highway 1 that was identified the morning of Oct. 27. The location of the rockslide is just north of the county line, at Post Mile 0.25 in southern Monterey County, approximately two miles north of Ragged Point.
Maintenance and geotechnical teams have identified a large, undermined rock outcrop above the roadway that needs to be removed from the hillside, brought down to the roadway, and transported off site. Soil has been transported to the site to build up an access ramp on the southern side of the rock outcrop. This will allow excavators to safely access and remove the rock outcrop from the side.
Once the rock is removed, crews will need to assess the slope to determine if any protective features need to be installed on or below the slope.
Work is taking place across both lanes of the roadway. Highway 1 is still not expected to reopen before Wednesday Nov. 3.
Crews and equipment will continue to work 7-days a week during daylight hours as long as site conditions are safe for crews. This rockslide has resulted in full closure of Highway 1 at Ragged Point, just north of the Ragged Point Inn, which remains open.
A full closure of southbound Highway 1 has been put in place at Gorda (PM 10). Highway 1 remains open for local travel from Carmel to Gorda. Notification of the closure is in place at several locations along Highway 1.
Updates will be provided as details about progress on the project become available. For traffic updates on other state highways in Monterey County, travelers may contact Caltrans District 5 Public Affairs at (805) 549-3318 or can visit the District 5 website at: https://dot.ca.gov/caltrans-near-me/district-5
Original story posted Oct. 28:
Highway 1 closed on Big Sur coast north of Ragged Point
– Caltrans maintenance teams responded to a report of rockfall on Highway 1 Wednesday morning at Post Mile 0.25 in southern Monterey County, approximately two miles north of Ragged Point.
This rockfall has resulted in full closure of Highway 1 at Ragged Point, just north of the Ragged Point Inn, which remains open.
A full closure of southbound Highway 1 has been put in place at Gorda (PM 10). Highway 1 remains open for local travel from Carmel to Gorda. Notification of the closure is being put in place at several locations along southbound Highway 1.
Maintenance and geotechnical teams are on site and continue with their assessments of the area. In addition to rockfall on the road, there is concern about unsupported rock on the slopes immediately above the roadway. It is expected that the work area for machinery and equipment to address these conditions will need to cover the entire roadway.
Wednesday morning, Caltrans entered into a new emergency contract for $500,000 with Papich Construction of Arroyo Grande to make necessary repairs. Crews and equipment have already been mobilized and work will occur 7-days a week during daylight hours as long as site conditions are safe for crews.
Early assessments indicate that Highway 1 may be closed for up to one week. Updates will be provided by close of business on Thursday, Oct. 28, as more information becomes available.
Caltrans reminds motorists to move over and slow down when driving through highway work zones.
For traffic updates on other state highways in Monterey County, travelers may contact Caltrans District 5 Public Affairs at (805) 549-3318 or can visit the District 5 website at: https://dot.ca.gov/caltrans-near-me/district-5
