CALTRANS
HIGHWAY 1 UPDATE
January 17
2:30 PM
Good afternoon,
This is an aerial of Mud Creek (PM 8.8), our active slide with a full closure in effect . Our local Geotech is meeting with Geotech from San Francisco today to find the best fix for Mud Creek (PM 8.8) It may be a longer than desired process, but we’re looking for the best and safest solution.
This is just the very bottom portion of the slide area. For those interested, I have a google earth screen shot, but for most of us, it is difficult to realize what one is looking at. I will see if I can learn to annotate it with what Rock Knocker has to say – will be in steep learning curve for me, so don’t look for it tonight, and maybe not even tomorrow.
FROM BIGSURKATE AND ROCK KNOCKER – NOT OFFICIAL CAL TRANS INFO – What a lot of people don’t realize when they see that slide on the mountain or on the highway, is that this is not the true problem. There is movement pushing from way up above that can be seen on google earth or a very long climb or by helicopter. This is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg.
THIS AFTERNOON’S UPDATE REMAINS THE SAME AS THIS MORNING:
State Route 1 continues to be closed from Ragged Point (SLO PM 72.87) to Lucia (MON PM 23.00) due to rock/mudslides in multiple locations.
Motorists may travel south on Hwy. 1 from Carmel to Lucia or travel north from Cambria to Ragged Point.
In addition there is a full closure on Hwy. 1 at Mud Creek (MON PM 8.88) due to a mud/rock slides within the existing boundary of this closure.
For the time being, Hwy 1 is open to LOCAL RESIDENTS traveling south from Monterey who can safely get around through the an open lane at Paul’s slide (MON PM 21.6) down to Gorda (PM 10) until 4 pm this and each afternoon.
There are no crews currently escorting at Paul’s Slide as all crews are working down at Mud Creek. Another update will be provided tomorrow afternoon, Wednesday, Jan. 18.
We will continue to work with you in maintaining the roadway safely open as much as possible. The forecast says Big Sur is expecting rain beginning tomorrow Wednesday, Jan. 18 through next Tuesday, Jan. 24, so no telling how Hwy. 1 will fare. We thank you for your patience, cooperation and understanding.
Susana Z. Cruz
Caltrans District 5
Public Information Officer/
Hope it holds through these next rains coming your way….
Wow that’s a lot of material that’s getting ready to come down. This is not good.
Kate, rain has started in the village around 06:30, here we go…
Storm #1 – no road opening today …. I’m betting.
bigsurkate
Does Lidar help Caltrans & USGS with its observations on how severe a slide really is?
No, they do NOT use LiDAR
bigsurkate
Kate, thanx for cleaning up my faux pas, looks like WP has has an update/upgrade with a new brighter light interface.
No faux pas, Andrew. It is written as either LIDAR or LiDAR. And my comment missed the NOT, so that was corrected.
Ok, that’s strange the bright white background is not there anymore, hmm. Something is jerking my chain.
Kate, Big Sur history- has there ever been a current U.S. President that visited this area and its watersheds?