Highway 1 Rocky Creek slip-out near Big Sur to open, businesses get ready
BIG SUR – Highway 1 at the Rocky Creek slip-out is scheduled to open to one-way alternating traffic this week, allowing the flow of public access to Big Sur eight days sooner than previously expected.
Beginning at 6:30 a.m. Friday, Caltrans will reopen this portion of roadway using a 24/7 signalized traffic control system to provide temporary unrestricted flow with one-way alternating access for vehicles in both directions.
Since March 30, Caltrans has been working to stabilize and reinforce the roadway at the slip-out using “ambitious engineering,” said Keving Drabinski, Caltrans District 5 spokesperson at the Monterey County news briefing on Wednesday.
Caltrans put crews on around the clock and brought in specialized equipment such as a crane and basket to suspend workers up and over the edge of the roadway to reinforce the slope under the highway in the stabilization effort.
“We were able to accomplish that,” he said adding that Caltrans has “high confidence of no advancement of the damage that was there.”
Rick Aldinger, Big Sur River Inn general manager speaking for the Big Sur Chamber of Commerce, said “We got some really great news yesterday.”
The announcement that the highway stabilization effort would allow for unrestricted public access starting Friday came from Governor Newsom’s office late Tuesday.
Aldinger said that Big Sur business leaders are scurrying to fill out work schedules and get people back in to get going again.
“We’ll have a weekend or two to get back into the rhythm,” he said. “We know it will take a while for the public to be aware and get moving again.”
In that same vein, Aldinger said that it will take time for people who work in Big Sur to get their full hours back and the need for relief and support remains.
He reported that the fundraising effort of the Monterey County Hospitality Association’s recent event at the La Playa Hotel in Carmel, along with that of the Community Foundation for Monterey County’s website, has raised more than $102,000.
“That’s a great number,” said Aldinger, adding that the link is still live on the website for donations.
“Crews have been working day and night to quickly repair the damage to Highway 1 caused by recent storms, which has disrupted the lives of individuals living in and around Big Sur – limiting access to the area and hampering tourism,” said Gov. Newsom in a press release. “Thanks to the diligent efforts, traffic will resume eight days ahead of schedule – bringing relief and a sense of normalcy back to one of California’s most iconic coastal communities.”
Nearly seven weeks ago, the slip-out below Highway 1 south of the Rocky Creek Bridge left the southbound lane partially undermined and impassable, said Caltrans. About six feet of the pavement and a portion of an unreinforced masonry retaining wall that supported the highway fell to the ocean about 170 feet below the road.
In order to stabilize the remaining southbound lane and preserve the northbound lane, crews drilled, installed and grouted 40 vertical and 75 sub-horizontal steel elements into the slope. The steel elements, or rock dowels, are covered by an application of shotcrete to protect the exposed rock slope.
During this work, Caltrans needed to close the roadway in both directions at Rocky Creek, aside from twice-daily convoys for locals and essential workers through the slip-out area which recently began to include visitors to Big Sur in those limited convoys.
Caltrans says that now that it has stabilized the southbound lane and preserved the northbound lane, the site will continue to be monitored and visually inspected.
A project to construct a permanent repair to the highway at this location is currently in the design phase, with an estimated completion date of spring 2025.
Earlier this month, the Governor surveyed the work being done at the Highway 1 slip-out and announced state action by signing an emergency proclamation. This action will help secure an estimated $100 million in federal funding for repairs to multiple areas of the state impacted by the recent storms.
But the highway still has a closure for those traveling southward at Lime Creek – post mile 32.25 – to accommodate work on the Dolan Point Slide – post mile 29.5 – about six miles south of Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park. Highway 1 at the Dolan Point Slide is estimated to reopen this month following the installation of a cable net drapery system over the face of the slope above the roadway.
The next closure point is at Regent’s Slide – post mile 27.8 – where work began on April 30. All environmental clearances are nearing or have been approved and repair work is close to or has started. Highway 1 at Regent’s Slide is on track for reopening in the early fall.
The southernmost choke point is at Paul’s Slide – post mile 22 – which was the result of the 2023 winter storms and has been closed since February of last year. Due to delays caused by the 2024 winter storms and the additional slides, it is estimated to reopen later this summer. Northbound traffic from the south on Highway 1 will find a closure at Lime Kiln State Park – post mile 20.76.
