Highway One Closure Update #2, 1/24/12

Spoke with Collins Jones, PIO for Cal-Trans sometime between 4 and 4:30, but I was on the road, and this is the first opportunity I have had to post this update.

Resident geologist, John Duffy, and his climbing team went up today and did some “scaling.” Scaling is taking the loose stuff down from the top. That operation revealed that the top is still geologically unstable, so they will be going back tomorrow for more scaling. After that operation, Cal-Trans believes they will be able to give a definitive answer about when the road can be re-opened.

Based on my 23 years of experience dealing with rock, dirt, and mud slides here on the South Coast (I’m guessing probably over 100), my view of the photo Cal-Trans provided, my conversations over the years with old-time Cal-Trans workers, as well as more current ones, I suspect the highway may be open on Friday.