Caltrans plans to reopen Highway 1 in early summer
February 25, 2021
Caltrans announced today that repairs of Highway 1 on the Big Sur Coast will begin on March 1, with an estimated reopening in early this summer. Debris flow from the Dolan Fire burn scar washed out a 150-foot section of roadway on Jan, 28, resulting in a full closure.
After assessing the damage, removing debris and making minor repairs, Caltrans plans to reconnect the roadway at Rat Creek with an enhanced fill option, fill the canyon with dirt in a large V-shape and construct a new road on top of the fill.
“Caltrans crews have been onsite since this highway section washed out in the recent storms to assess the damage, and we’re pleased to announce emergency construction begins next week to repair and reconnect the highway,” said Caltrans Director Toks Omishakin. “Highway 1 is an iconic roadway that connects travelers with small businesses on the Central Coast, and we’re focused on restoring travel on
The endless battle to save America s greatest road from its own demons
Highway 1 is one of America s most beautiful – and most troublesome – roads
Credit: Getty
One of the problems with beauty is that it can appear effortless. It can look as if it were conjured with a singular flick of a magic wand, or in a lone moment of divine inspiration – when, in fact, perfection tends to be the fruit of a process that is long-winded, torturous and deeply impractical. And those epic end results? Welcome to years of maintenance, painstaking restoration, and fears that the glory of it all cannot be preserved in perpetuity.
BIG SUR As Caltrans crews continue to assess the damage to Highway 1 at Rat Creek after a winter storm washed away 150 feet of the road, a spokesman for the agency said the project to repair the iconic roadway will likely entail a bridge or a fill project to rebuild on top of the embankment.