Big Sur: Both lanes of Highway 1 open at Rocky Creek

BIG SUR – In time for the Fourth of July weekend, both lanes of Highway 1 reopened Monday night where a slip out occurred more than a year ago.

Two viaducts have been built to support the highway about 12 miles south of Carmel at Rocky Creek. But another part of the repair job continues on the seawall below, which was also damaged when the slip out happened, and will affect traffic at times over the summer.

“Certainly, the Big Sur community, its businesses and residents, have expressed their appreciation for the expedited timeline which saw Highway 1 reopen to two lanes in only 15 months,” said Caltrans District 5 spokesperson Kevin Drabinski. “This was an impressive construction feat considering that a road had to be rebuilt with very little space to work with while perched 170 feet above the ocean. Caltrans is also proud to have engaged with the community throughout the different iterations of flagging control and overnight closures to identify a work schedule which reduced impacts to community events.”

The Rocky Creek slip out of March 30, 2024, resulted in a loss of a section of the southbound lane. For six weeks following the slide, travelers were able to drive through Highway 1 at Rocky Creek in twice-daily convoys using the viable northbound lane, allowing for access to the communities of Big Sur. Further measures were taken to restore vehicle passage using only the northbound lane when Caltrans established one-way, 24-7, signalized traffic control.

For six weeks following the slide, travelers were able to drive through Highway 1 at Rocky Creek in twice-daily convoys using the viable northbound lane, allowing for critical access to the communities of Big Sur. (Caltrans)

Caltrans repaired the southbound lane by constructing a viaduct to support that side of the roadway. The viaduct installation entailed crews drilling and casting reinforced concrete columns to support the weight of the viaduct structure in advance of the installation of girders. The design of the viaduct involved support from the two ends as well as two support columns in the middle, which made for a three-span design. The three girders for the southbound lane — which were installed in mid-December 2024 — were placed across three spans, totaling nine concrete girders, ranging from 45 to 65 feet in length. That was followed up by a full overnight closure to allow Caltrans crews to pour the concrete bridge deck for the southbound lane of the Rocky Creek viaduct structure.

The southbound lane of Highway 1 at Rocky Creek reopened to travel on March 8, after completion of the southbound viaduct structure.

Highway 1 at the Rocky Creek slip out repair site has had many overnight closures in the past few weeks to accelerate completion of the northbound viaduct structure. A recent overnight closure was conducted to pour concrete for the northbound bridge deck that followed the successful installation of six concrete girders a few weeks ago.

Caltrans has also used previous overnight closures to deliver supplies and equipment to the shore below for the seawall restoration project and continues to repair the damaged seawall at Rocky Creek. The restored barrier will better protect this section of Highway 1 and increase roadway resiliency officials say. Travelers can anticipate intermittent traffic control at Rocky Creek through the summer.

“Travelers will see only minimal impact in the form of occasional flagging control from the seawall restoration project which continues below the newly constructed viaduct and the Rocky Creek Bridge,” said Drabinski. “Restoration of the seawall is on schedule and the projected date for completion of the seawall restoration project is the end of November 2025, in advance of seasonal rains.”

Gordon N. Ball, Inc. of Walnut Creek and Teichert Construction in Sacramento served as the contractors throughout the repair effort. The total cost for the project, first estimated to be about $20 million, is now estimated at $15.4 million.

“The difference between the estimated and actual costs for viaduct construction is in part a result of having to pose an initial estimate without having been able to completely evaluate the relevant site factors, such as where and how deep the abutments and support columns would be situated,” said Drabinski. “Every slide and slip out has its own personality if you will, and we learned more about construction costs as the design for the viaduct moved forward.”

Caltrans said it would like to thank the residents and businesses of Big Sur for their patience and communication during these emergency repairs. These partnerships helped the department create work schedules that reduced disruptions to planned community events.

More than 100 miles of Highway 1 on the Big Sur Coast remain open and accessible.

Though Highway 1 to Big Sur is open, the coastal highway remains closed 40 miles south of Carmel due to the Regent’s Slide — post mile 27.8 — which occurred March 9, 2024, and where top-down removal of slide material by crews began on April 30, 2024.

Travelers to the Big Sur coast from southern California will also encounter the closure of the coast highway at Regent’s Slide. The vast majority of the Big Sur coast remains accessible and open with about 6 miles of closure between the north and south ends of Highway 1 to accommodate work on Regent’s Slide.

Road information and updates can also be found on Caltrans District 5 Social Media platforms: X/Twitter at: @CaltransD5, Facebook at: Caltrans Central Coast (District 5) and Instagram at: Caltrans_D5.