Caltrans officials say the landslide repairs will keep Highway 1 south of Big Sur closed for months, rewriting the travel plans of anyone hoping to take a coastal trip out of southern California in early spring.
In addition, “it is too early to set a schedule,” said Caltrans spokesman Kevin Drabinski. Although Monterey County officials partially suspended a storm-related evacuation order in the area on Monday afternoon, the flow of debris in some places “is still active. … And we will have rain coming tonight. “
The biggest problem is a 50-meter-long chasm where the highway used to pass at Rat Creek, two miles south of the Esalen Institute. That area, officials noted, is below the “burn scar” left by the Dolan fire, which darkened about 125,000 acres last August.
In addition to the damage at Rat Creek, officials said some 60 points along the highway were damaged. Many “need to dry and stabilize before we can go in there and do thorough repairs and cleaning,” said Drabinski.
Until the coast route is reopened, the only way from Southern California to the dramatic Big Sur coast is to ascend US 101 to Salinas and then return along the coast via Carmel.
Once Caltrans redefines the closure of the highways (due on Monday night), drivers heading north on Highway 1 will still be able to reach San Simeon, Hearst Castle (which is closed because of COVID-19), Ragged Point and Gorda, crossing the San Condado de Luis Obispo line in Monterey County. But the coastal road must be closed 11.1 miles beyond the county line at Willow Creek Road.
Visitors from the south of the Bay Area and other points to the north can still access Big Sur’s restaurants, inns, shops and parks, most of which remain open. For them, traffic to the south will stop near the South Coast Center at landmark 34, about 2 miles south of Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park and the iconic McWay Falls setting. (About 2.5 km beyond the block and closed to the public: Instituto Esalen, which planned to reopen on March 1)
Slope saturation and landslide occurred on January 28 and 29, as the rains were soaking much of the state.
Caltrans officials said that last Thursday, road crews found that streams of debris had swept the southern lane of the two-lane highway. When the crews returned the next morning, officials said, more flows had swept the runway north as well.
Emergency teams began closing 44 miles of the famous, but fragile, highway from Fuller’s Point (north) to Ragged Point (south). On Monday at 6 pm, after sending drones to map the location, the teams were to open the northern and southern parts of the closed road, reducing the closed zone to 22.8 miles.
Drabinski noted that these miles are closed not only for cars, but also for bicycles and pedestrians “because it is an active construction zone and the highway is not suitable for public use”. However, he said, “We hope to continue moving the south border to the north and the north border to the south” as the work progresses.
The highway reopened in July 2018 after a 14-month landslide repair closure, the one at Mud Creek.
The impact of closing on companies is relatively low at the moment, said Kirk Gafill, president of the Big Sur Chamber of Commerce. He noted that this is the slowest time of the year and, under pandemic restrictions, many businesses are limited in the number of people who can serve.
Businesses can see an estimated 30% drop in revenue during spring and summer, the busiest seasons in the area, said Gafill, noting that about two-thirds of Big Sur’s visitors come from northern California.
“Big Sur is an isolated area to start,” said Tyler Rue, general manager of COAST Big Sur cafe and gallery. “When you cut this main artery, it becomes even more isolated.”
Despite the headaches, forest fires, COVID-19 requirements and the collapse of the land caused local business owners, Rue said: “The Big Sur community is extremely resilient and cohesive. We work well together to find solutions. “
Drabinski said the traffic checkpoints will allow Big Sur residents to access the area where security allows. He noted that, due to Big Sur’s long-standing vulnerability to the climate, residents “are very self-sufficient. They are used to power outages and closed roads. They are a very resilient community and we are trying to open the highway as soon as possible. “