Nothing new to report re Mud Creek and Paul’s Slide, and the photos show nothing new re Mud Creek, but here are a couple from the scaling operation at Paul’s Slide on Friday.
Category: mud creek
Photo Sunday, 6/24/18 – Mud Creek
All photos by Rock Knocker, taken on Friday, 6/23/18. I’ll add more with explanations later but here are a few, one can tell it is still draining and still moving…more later. Thank you Cal Trans, Susana Cruz and Wayne Walker in particular, for helping to arrange this pre-opening tour.
Mud Creek article
In the San Jose Mercury News is a very detailed and comprehensive report on the state of the slide and the current work on it, with a series of photos taken by Vern Fischer of the Herald.
You can view it here: https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/05/09/big-sur-nearly-a-year-after-massive-mud-creek-slide-project-intensifies/
Here are a couple of the photos showing current cracks:
(Photo by Vern Fischer)
I have highlighted some new cracks. It is impossible to tell if this is of any significance from a photo, but it would appear the project manager is checking them out, and doesn’t seem to be worried about any imminent threat.
Here is the entrance from the north:
(Photo by Vern Fischer) (Note, this appears to be an earlier shot as the containers are in this photo and they have since been removed)
And here is the arial view. The red line marks where the road will probably go (my guess), if it doesn’t already, but it could be dropped down to the lower bench, if needed, it looks like.
Mud Creek Contract and other oddities, 5/5/18
Yesterday, I finally had the time to go through the Mud Creek contract first awarded to Madonna Construction on 1/19/17. I’ve pulled out a few bits of information, took some screen shots, sent off emails to Cal Trans for comments, and otherwise started research and analysis. There is still much to discover and understand, but given that no one at Cal Trans has thus far responded, I decided to publish what I have today.
The original contract provided for removing slide material, installing rock nets, and restoring facilities to enable reopening the highway. This contract was awarded 1/19/17 and signed 3/17/17. It was for 30 days at a cost of $2,500,000. It is a public works contract specifically excluded from 2 CCR § 547.59. (California Code of Regulations.) It is exempt from public bidding as explained in the State Contracts Manual (SCM) §5.80 (A)(3) which states: “As noted in section 5.05, competitive bidding is required unless there is a legally authorized basis for bid exemption. Key exemption categories are identified below. A. Statutory Exemptions: 3. Emergency contracts. The work or service is for the immediate preservation of the public health, welfare, safety, or protection of State property (PCC §§ 1102, 10340).”
On 4/6/17, the original contract was modified to increase the contract from $2,500,000 to $9,500,000 an increase of 3 and 1/2 times the original amount and added 80 days for completion, for a total of 110 days. After the BIG slide on 5/19/17, The Contract was again modified two months later on 7/18/17 to $12,000,000 and another 60 days was added to the contract for a total of 170 days. Two more modifications, one on 9/20/17 for an additional amount of $32,000,000 and an addition of 150 WORKING days (30 weeks) for a total of 320 days, and another on 9/18/17 of total amount of $56,000,000 (previously awarded, PLUS the requested additional $32,000,000) would then take the contract to the end of April 2018.
By my calculations, the time and the $56,000,000 award ran out on 4/18/18 although the first page reproduced above says “end of April” so the contract has been renewed or is in the process of being renewed. I asked for the extension on this contract, but have yet to receive it. I will discuss it when received and will follow-up on that next week.
Besides the contract itself, I also inquired about the excavation going on at Grey Slip, a few miles south of Mud Creek, to obtain fill material. Grey Slip is another area of prior road issues. I asked Cal Trans to comment on this yesterday, but so far have not received any response. One local was told that they had originally started excavation on the west side, but after some movement, moved to the east. I have not been able to confirm this, as Cal Trans did not respond to my questions. I looked through some of my photographs to see if I could find an older one to show any prior issues at this point, but haven’t been able to locate one. Rock Knocker put all his old photos in a storage unit in Paso/Templeton, so no help there. If anyone else has a photo of Grey Slip in prior years, I would love to see it.
This is what is happening at Grey Slip currently:
Highway 1 closure update, 12/18/17
Photos: 1-3 of Mud Creek (PM 8.9) from Wednesday, Dec. 13 ; photos 4-6 of Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge (PM 45.52) from Monday, Dec. 11 .
HIGHWAY 1 UPDATE – Monday, Dec. 18
State Route 1 in Monterey County remains closed from north of Salmon Creek, just south of the Ranger Station (PM 3) to just south of Gorda (PM 10) due to the Mud Creek slide. State Route 1 south of Salmon Creek is accessible via State Route 1 in San Luis Obispo County near Ragged Point.
REMINDER: Travelers still CANNOT access the entire length of Highway 1 from Carmel to Cambria but local businesses are open on both sides of Mud Creek.
Mud Creek (PM 8.9)
Mud Creek had a major slide on Saturday, May 20, 2017, losing over 5 million cubic yards of material. Caltrans continues with its plan to realign the existing terrain with the projected timeline to safely open to public traffic is late-summer 2018 at an estimated cost of $40 million.
Last week, the contractor continued placing rock revetment, working from the north going south and will place rock revetment across the entire toe. Also, construction continues of the south fill embankment. These same operations will continue this week.
There is currently no public/local access through the Mud Creek area since this remains an active, emergency construction zone.
Paul’s Slide (PM 21.6)
Paul’s Slide is still active but the 24/7 traffic signal remains in place and temporary guardrail (k-rail) in the centerline.
Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge [PCB] (PM 45.52)
Final work continues for several weeks. Roadwork at Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge consists of alternating lane closures from 7 am to 4 pm Mondays through Thursdays and 7 am to 2 pm on Fridays until work is complete. Last week the contractor continued with prep and painting on the girders; installed the joint seal assemblies; performed permanent seeding and mulching, and completed the underground electrical for the seismic sensors. This week, the contractor will continue painting the girders, finish permanent seeding, remove concrete debris in turnout south of the project, and perform concrete finishing on structure—activities this week will require lane closures, as mentioned above.
Caltrans reminds motorists to move over and slow down when driving through highway work zones.
The next update will be on Wednesday, Dec. 27. Happy Holidays to all!!! ☺
Susana Z. Cruz nature-flower-blue-motif[1]
Mud Creek Photos, 8/15/17
These were taken yesterday, 8/14/17, by Rock Knocker, who was escorted to the work area by Wayne Walker, the project manager. First, let me put to rest all the recent rumors people have been asking me about. No, Mud Creek is NOT going to open at the same time as the bridge, and NO, it is not going to open to locals only anytime soon. As has been said numerous times before, the timeline for the completion of this project is expected to be released by month’s end. Evaluation and prep work are still being done as of now.
First off, here is a recent aerial view to provide some perspective as to what one is seeing in the closer, on-the-ground photos:
Here are 15 of the ones Rock Knocker took yesterday, then I have added two historical ones.
That is the rock sea wall being built. It will come north to that “mound” just behind the pompas grass.
On can see the containers up on the left which are going to be used as a retaining wall.
Hauling in and moving rock
This first one is from 1995:
And this one is from 1994. I am told I already published this one, but worth repeating.
