As of 10 pm Tuesday night, Highway One is closed from Ragged Point on the south to just south of Palo Colorado Canyon. Cal Trans was successful in opening one lane by River Inn.
Per CHP as of 6:58 am, “…MM 57 IS COMPLETELY BLOCKED / STILL ACTIVELY SLIDING”.
8:02 am, “COUNTY ASKED … TO MOVE THE SLIDE TO JNO PALO COLORADO – TO BLOCK ACCESS TO PALO COLORADO”.
8:32 am (reports of lines down), “D5 WITH CALTRANS SUPERVISOR FOR BRIDGE DETAIL / REQ TO SEE IF LINES DOWN IN BIG SUR IF CREW CAN COME UP FRM BIG SUR OR IF THEY NEED TO GO FRM THE NORTH TO SOUTH TO CLEAR IT”.
9:12 am, “PATH CLEARED AT MM 57 AND WILL BE WORKING IN THAT AREA ALL DAY AND WILL BE LETTING VEHS THRU”.
Photo taken yesterday by Kodiak Greenwood.
From Monterey County Weekly here:
“The bridge is beyond repair,” says Caltrans spokeswoman Susana Cruz, based on a Feb. 21 structural assessment. “The time frame for a new bridge is unknown. We have a couple of days of dry weather, which will help us.”
Numerous cracks were found in the support column on Feb. 11 as a mudslide under the bridge shifted the concrete base.
Cruz estimates a replacement could take upward of a year—a long isolation for some 435 residents who live south of Pfeiffer Canyon, as well as dozens of restaurants and businesses. Access is also closed on Highway 1 to the south of Big Sur due to slides, and Nacimiento-Fergusson Road—the only east-west paved access—is also currently closed.
“The county is working on options,” Monterey County spokesperson Maia Carroll says. The county’s goal is to do a resupply within a couple of weeks.
So far, a medevac helicopter has been set up to transport Big Sur patients in case of medical emergencies.
Hello All, Saturday night storm juicing up and small break after but rain train stacking up for big rains second week March thru April. Looking way down the road (no pun intended) next Winter will be very similar to this and maybe even wetter. I am already planning for the next few years to be a very tumultuous time for the Central Coast!! This pattern is supported by solar min, enso positive phase, global warming (arctic high placement) and positive phase indian ocean dipole. The last el nino in 2015-2016 that was a dud had IOD in negative phase and interfered with the MJO placement in east pacific. Next year the east indian ocean is looking to cool down like 1997-1998 winter! Bottomline take time this summer to engineer drains for 500 year floods next year!!
Cheers, paul
Rocky creek bridge is mile marker 61.0 >
9:13 AM 11 [16] 1039 MONT COMM
9:12 AM 10 [15] PATH CLEARED AT MM 57 AND WILL BE WORKING IN THAT AREA ALL DAY AND WILL BE LETTING VEHS THRU
according to My chp 911 communications (831-796-2160) phone person at 9:30am, CHP is letting locals through the hwy 1 closure at Palo Colorado both ways on a case-by-case basis.
Paul, what instruments are you gaining these astroweather observation & forecasts year out & beyond from?
Time for me to invest in a anchored underground bunker community.
How incredibly informative. Thank you very much for your highly scientific meteorological observations and predictions. It begs the question – what is the local, county, state and federal response? I have no illusions that the federal response will be anemic. Those who are stranded in Big Sur and Cachagua should have access to helicopter rescue and evacuation without regard to medical necessity.
PG&E just called with the update that they expect power to be restored to Big Sur (Pfeiffer Ridge) by Friday, 2/24/17,6pm.
I assume the Pfeiffer Creek bridge is right at the entrance to the road leading to Pfeiffer Beach, is this correct? I grew up in Monterey, have many memories of Big Sur, esp. back in the 60s, but have been away for years. Thanks! So sad to see all the storm damage in the area and can only imagine the hardships for many residents. Been a snowy winter where I live (Idaho; don’t ask) with about 4′ of snow and icy hwys.
I spent about a year total in Big Sur in the period 98-15. Would go for 2 weeks-month to recharge my spirit. Played guitar at Fernwood for barbecue Saturdays one summer in the Tazzie Bob days (RIP Marty and Tazzie), Esalen for a month, 4-5 months total in Molera, couple of months in Plaskett and Pfeffer Big Sur, hung out playing some at Miller and Loma Vista.
Last time i was there camping in Plaskett late in the offseason i couldn’t believe the sound of cars passing on the highway all day all night long. Too much, too busy. The South Coast used to be quiet. Sorry to say i felt like it was over, Big Sur was spoiled and i needed to find a new place to revivify myself.
These rain slide road closures are really hard, potentially disastrous for many of the seriously great people who live in Big Sur, and i pray for them.
And i wonder if this is Spirit’s way of discouraging many of the tourists who did not love the land from trashing it both physically and energetically, Spirit’s way of allowing locals to enjoy their amazing home without being overrun by yahoos, albeit the physical and financial challenges are large, and allowing the land to regenerate in peace.
Wishing you all the best
Be well,
J.D. Bear