Highway One is closed to thru traffic

Header Photo, Rat Creek by Heath Johnston, Supervisor, Cal Trans Big Sur Station

It washed out at Rat Creek, at Mile Marker 30, south of Esalen, on Thursday, 1/28/21, and as of now there is no expected time line for repairing it. When there is, I will add it here. I am asked hundreds of times during slides where the slide is in relation to something else. The following link will answer that question for you.

7 am, 1/29/21 Photo by Heath Johnston

Interactive Highway Map with Mile Markers and slide names is to the right, under “Pages” first one *Big Sur Interactive Maps… if the following link doesn’t work. *Big Sur Interactive Slide Maps will answer any questions you may have about where something is in relation to something else.

There is a fascinating historical study of the road closures of Highway One in Big Sur contacted for by Cal Trans in 2000. It is well worth your time. History of Road Closures in Big Sur

Also, just a reminder that there is an entire page devoted to the history and information about Highway One. Here is the link: https://bigsurkate.blog/history-info-on-highway-one/

Cal Trans Rat Creek Update

Date:Thursday, February 18, 2021 at 12:45 pm
District:05 – Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Monterey, San Benito and Santa Cruz Counties
Contact:Kevin Drabinski or Jim Shivers
Phone:(805) 549-3138 or (805) 549-3237

SOUTHERN CLOUSURE OF HIGHWAY 1 TO MOVE NORTH TO BIG CREEK

THIS FRIDAY AHEAD OF SCHEDULE

MONTEREY COUNTY – The southern closure of Highway 1, currently in place just north of Pacific Valley at PM 16, will relocate north to the Big Creek Vista Point at PM 27.3 on Friday Feb. 19, at 5 pm. This is three days earlier than originally anticipated.

This will open up an additional 11 miles of the highway on the south side of Rat Creek. 

Once established, the southern turnaround at Big Creek Vista Point at PM 27.3 and the northern turnaround just north of the Lime Creek Bridge at PM 32.1 will serve as the landmark limits for public travel on Highway 1 while repairs are being made at Rat Creek.

In upcoming weeks, these turnarounds will be improved with permanent surfacing and enhanced striping.

Sections of Highway 1 on the approach to these turnarounds will continue to be subject to one way reversing traffic control at various points as cleanup operations continue. Motorists can expect delays of up to 10 minutes.

At Rat Creek, woody debris and debris flow material continue to be hauled out of the upstream basin and is being trucked off site.

Engineering teams continue to study possible repair options. No repair method at Rat Creek has been selected and there is no timeline at present for when that decision might be made.

300th Anniversary of the Brandenburg Concerto, a JS Bach masterpiece.


March 24th, 2021
 is the 300th Anniversary of the Brandenburg Concerto, a JS Bach masterpiece. 

Zoom Links

March 24th, 2:00pm Showinghttps://csumb.zoom.us/j/85276768706

March 24th, 7:00pm Showinghttps://csumb.zoom.us/j/88080717562

Monterey, California will be hosting a worldwide celebration with two Livestreams – one at 2 to 3:30 PST, and the second at 7 to 8:30 PST. Sponsored by the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute and the Music and Performing Arts Department at California State University Monterey Bay. and its partners the Alliance for California Traditional Arts, California Rodeo Salinas, Carmel Bach Festival, Monterey County Pops!, Monterey Jazz Festival, Monterey Symphony, and Palenke Arts.    All free – a gift from Monterey to the world.


This unprecedented range of major classical, jazz and traditional arts organizations in our area came together to celebrate the first music on the Golden Record that will still be orbiting the Milky Way long after our sun explodes in 4.5 billion years.  The Brandenburg Concerto heads 26 other pieces that were selected to represent the whole of earth by a Carl Sagan/Jet Propulsion Lab team in 1977.  Arguably it is the most important recorded music ever.  The Carmel Bach Festival has performed one of its concertos over 275 times since 1935 – easily the most performed classical music in the history of Monterey County.


As part of the program we are asking anyone who wishes to answer a question:
What music would you like to have heard on the Voyager Golden Record that they did not include? Or put another way, what list of music would you want to represent all of humanity and human history that might be launched on a future Golden Record that would travel through space for the next 5 billion years?  Why?


Please answer either through the website (or in the chat room during the Livestreams):  https://brandenburgconcerto300thanniversary.com/what-music-would-you-like-to-have-been-on-the-voyager-golden-record/

For links to music being played in the program:  https://brandenburgconcerto300thanniversary.com/brandenburg-concerto-300th-anniversary-program/
To register (optional) please go to: https://brandenburgconcerto300thanniversary.com
Or email us: Brandenburg300Project@gmail.com

Please join California State University Monterey Bay and its partners the Alliance for California Traditional Arts, California Rodeo Salinas, Carmel Bach Festival, Monterey County Pops!, Monterey Jazz Festival, Monterey Symphony, and Palenke Arts in celebrating wonderful music, great art and photography.  All free – a gift from Monterey to the world.

The “Personality One” by Don Harlan, or How Elephant’s Trunk Got its Name – Introduction

I first ran this multi-part series in 2014. If you are a long-time follower of this blog, you will remember it. Given the recent Rat Creek slip out. I thought it would be fun to run again. Don has been gone for many years, and the road surely misses him. He was born in town, but brought back to the Harlan homestead near Lucia by horseback before the road was completed when he was only days old. He was on the original Willow Springs Station road crew and eventually became its foreman/supervisor.

Don Harlan is the original road warrior. He worked Highway One for many, many years. He was the Supervisor at Willow Springs when Rock Knocker first came to work there in 1980. Don was part of the Lucia Lodge Harlan’s and grew up and was schooled down here. He had many road stories, dating back to the 30s, when he watched the north and southern portions connect.

In 1971 he wrote an article which is passed on to the Supervisors (foremen in Don’s time) who work this section of the Highway. Greg DeAlba, the supervisor in 2014 shared this with me, and I think it would make an interesting serial for this blog. In it, Don describes the various trouble spots and how they came to be named. There is nothing PC about this piece, but it is a delight to read, both for the historical value and for Don’s writing style. He was one of a kind. Long after he retired, he showed up to Rock Knocker’s and my wedding in his hard hat. He never left home without it.

On Mondays, absent an emergency fire, flood, or road closure, I will be offering a segment of this piece, as it is 11 pages, single spaced. I am taking photographs of each portion, rather than re-typing it so that it is entirely true to the man Don was – and I can’t mess it up! Look for part 1 next Monday.

Sunday Photos, 2/14/21

Got a nice surprise last night:

Yes, you are Brendon

Happy Valentine’s Day. Rock Knocker and I celebrated early when we had to make a trip to Monterey last week. We had dinner at The Sur in the Barnyard with two friends: Vilia and Rose. Vilia was late and I forgot to get her photo, but here is Rose:

This was definitely the highlight of my week and gave me great joy. Hadn’t done that since the beginning of the pandemic, coming up on a year, now. Thanks for joining us, ladies. So good to see girlfriends. And thanks Rock Knocker for being my designated driver!

Cal Trans update on Rat Creek, 2/12/21

Date:Friday, February 12, 2021 at 6:00 pm
District:05 – Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Monterey, San Benito and Santa Cruz Counties
Contact:Kevin Drabinski or Jim Shivers
Phone:(805) 549-3138 or (805) 549-3237
  
  

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

HIGHWAY 1 CLEANUP AND ASSESSMENT AT RAT CREEK CONTINUE; SOUTHERN CLOSURE SCHEDULED TO SHORTEN

MONTEREY COUNTY – Clean up and road repairs continue on large stretches of Highway 1 on the Big Sur coast as assessment continues at Rat Creek where a 150-foot section of road washed out on January 28, 2021.

Work continues unplugging numerous culverts both north and south of Rat Creek which were overwhelmed by debris flow from the recent rainstorm. Significantly, all the culverts have been located and their inlets exposed. Additional debris removal from the inlet areas and removal of mud and debris from inside the pipes continues.  

Caltrans maintenance forces continue work in the open sections of the highway clearing ditches and debris. Crews continue to work in support of emergency contractors inside the closed sections of highway with guardrail repairs and restoring drainage facilities. Crews will continue to work extended shifts through the holiday weekend.

Southern Closure Scheduled to Move North

The closure of Highway 1 south of Rat Creek is currently in place just north of Pacific Valley at PM 16. Given current progress on debris removal and road repairs, it is anticipated that this southern closure will move north on Monday Feb. 22, and relocate to the Big Creek Vista Point at PM 27.3 where a turnaround is being constructed.

Northern Closure in Place

A turnaround has been put into service two miles north of Rat Creek, just north of the Lime Creek Bridge at PM 32.1. This turnaround will serve as the landmark limit for public travel south on Highway 1 while repairs are being made at Rat Creek.

In upcoming weeks, the turnaround will be improved with permanent surfacing and enhanced striping. Work to restore impacted drainage systems on Highway 1 north of Lime Creek will continue using standard traffic control as necessary.

Assessment Continues at Rat Creek

Crews continue working at Rat Creek seven days a week as part of the ongoing assessment phase. Geotechnical and engineering crews continue to gather data and inspect areas in proximity of the washout and the surrounding canyon. To date, no design alternative has been selected. Given the complexity of the repair there is at present no timeline for when this decision will be made.

Excavators have mobilized on site to remove woody debris and mud from the canyon. Such work is required no matter the design alternative selected.

Caltrans reminds motorists to move over and slow down when 

driving through highway work zones.

Excavators Clearing Debris and Mud at Rat Creek 02.11.21

###

Kevin Drabinski

Public Information Officer

Caltrans District 5