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MONTEREY COUNTY — Caltrans announced today that Highway 1 at Rocky Creek is set to reopen to two lanes of travel on Monday, June 30, by 8 pm following completion of emergency repairs and construction of a viaduct.
Travel on Highway 1 through Rocky Creek, (12 miles south of Carmel), has been under one-way traffic control since March 30, 2024, when a landslide resulted in the loss of a southbound section of roadway. Caltrans completed the project on an expedited schedule.
“The challenges posed by the slide on Highway 1 at Rocky Creek 15 months ago were met with an immediate commitment to restore access to this iconic roadway and symbol of north coast vitality,” said Caltrans District 5 Director Scott Eades. “Today’s reopening represents an engineering marvel and triumph in resilience for Big Sur residents, business owners and their elected officials. The restoration of service along this famed transportation lifeline is a shared success and testament to their patience, hard work and community spirit.”
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.
Crews worked daytime and overnight shifts to stabilize the remaining roadway and prevent additional slide
activity. To execute a key step in restoring stability to the damaged area, crews lowered rock dowels into vertical shafts drilled deep into the slope. This engineering strategy allowed work to continue, while keeping workers in a safer environment.
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 is estimated at $15.4 million.
Caltrans would like to thank the residents and businesses of Big Sur for their patience and communication during these emergency repairs. These valued partnerships helped the department create work schedules that reduced disruptions to planned community events.
Caltrans continues to repair the damaged seawall at Rocky Creek. The restored barrier will better protect this section of Highway 1 and increase roadway resiliency. Travelers can anticipate intermittent traffic control at Rocky Creek through the summer.
Road information and updates can 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.
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