Caltrans and contracted crews have continued this week to make onsite assessments at two recent slides on Highway 1 in Monterey County on the Big Sur coast.

The first recent slide occurred Thursday Feb. 8 at Post Mile 29.5 and is known as the Dolan Point Slide. The second and larger slide took place on the evening of Friday Feb. 9 at Post Mile 27.8. and is referred to as the Regent Slide. These two slides are north of an existing closure due to repairs being made at Paul’s Slide at Post Mile 22.

Highway 1 remains open for travel from the Monterey/Carmel area to Post Mile 29.7, some 2.7 miles south of the Esalen Institute. Highway 1 is also open from the Cambria/San Simeon area to just south of Limekiln State Park at PM 20.

Repairs

Both the Dolan Point and Regent Slide occurred at locations where the roadway is adjacent to steep slopes on the inland side with a severe drop off on the ocean side. The Dolan Point Slide is still active. At the Regent Slide, water is running down the face of the slope. Repair designs are being formulated for both slides.

At each of these locations, undermined material that is perched on the slope above the roadway could release at any time, making for unsafe working conditions at the toe of the slide. Material will have to be removed from the top down. If rain brings down perched material, it may expedite this process. Additionally, site conditions may evolve during forecasted rain events over the next seven to ten days which may impact the date when crews can begin full-fledged repairs.

Once dry conditions return, it is estimated that it will take one month to stabilize the slope, clear debris, and reopen Highway 1 at the Dolan Point Slide. In the weeks following the reopening, crews will return to install protective drapery system on the slope above the roadway, under one-way traffic control.

There is no estimated date for a reopening of Highway 1 at the Regent Slide. Once assessments are complete and a repair design is formulated, an update will be provided regarding an estimated reopening date.

Convoys

Since Sunday Feb. 11, Caltrans has conducted twice a day convoys for residents living south of the Dolan Point and Regent Slides and north of Paul’s Slide. Convoys have traveled through Paul’s Slide in the north and southbound direction at 8 amand 3 pm each day. These convoys have been arranged so that local residents can travel south through Paul’s Slide to secure supplies now that travel to the north is blocked by the Dolan Point and Regent Slides. Because passage through Paul’s Slide is by way of a dirt roadbed, convoys can only be permitted when site conditions are in good order and safe for travel.

Due to rain which is forecasted in the area over the next several days, daily convoys will be cancelled from Saturday Feb. 17 through Thursday Feb. 22. After Thursday Feb. 22, the determination about whether convoy passage is possible will be made on a day-to-day basis based on weather and site conditions.

Dolan Point

Regent Slide