Caltrans Announces Projected Timeline for Rebuilding Highway 1 at Mud Creek
BIG SUR, MONTEREY COUNTY – Caltrans is aiming to have Highway 1 at Mud Creek open to traffic by late summer, 2018 with an estimated price tag of $40 million. Earlier this summer, Caltrans announced a plan to build over the massive slide that covered Highway 1 earlier this year. The new roadway will traverse over the slide area, using a series of embankments, berms, rocks, netting, culverts and other stabilizing material.
“The landslide at Mud Creek is one of the largest in California’s history. We are working to safely rebuild the road in this complex and unpredictable area,” said Caltrans District 5 Director Tim Gubbins. “We understand how much this road closure has impacted the counties of San Luis Obispo and Monterey, and we appreciate everyone’s patience and support as we work to open the highway. Caltrans is committed to restoring this vital link to and from Big Sur as quickly and safely as possible.”
The timeline for rebuilding is dependent on this winter’s weather conditions. Caltrans will continue working closely with various state, local and federal resource agencies and the Big Sur community until the highway is reopened.
The landslide occurred May 20th and sent more than 5 million cubic yards of rock and dirt onto the roadway and into the ocean, making it the largest slide ever along the Big Sur coast.
–Photos below–
Aerial photo courtesy of John Madonna Construction from May 25, 2017
Aerial photo courtesy of John Madonna Construction from Friday, Sept. 1, 2017
Susana Z. Cruz nature-flower-blue-motif[1]
Caltrans District 5
Public Information Officer
The links in the screen shot are not active. Zoom Option: https://montereycty.zoom.us/j/96244171607
Here are some stills from a video that Ivy took about 1/2 hour ago or…
This update contains no new information, but a nice photo. Here it is in any…
Currently there are both ground units and air tankers on this fire. “Approx 2 acres…
Dave Nelson, and others have been trying to get Caltrans to address their contributions to…
View Comments
"The timeline for rebuilding is dependent on this winter’s weather conditions." Yup.
Kate, was just punching through a dry-weather -only gravel road ever considered an option? Much of the expense seems to be about building an all-weather route with highway level engineering. Leave that to another day, after the land has finished settling. Asphalt over landslides goes bumpy in months, but a gravel route could simply be rebladed to keep it open.
JWC, Cal Trans doesn't share with others all the various options they have considered and rejected, so I can't answer, but that is pretty much what they did at Paul's Slide. I imagine when it first opens to locals, it will not yet be paved, but can't say for sure.
https://bigsurkate.blog
yeah, I still vote it never opens again please. so nice and quiet now....
however modestly annoying the closure is it's far far less annoying than the hordes of tourists doing silly things and behaving badly.
Shouldn't one the largest landslides in California history be declared a State Historical Monument and given legal protection? Think of the potential. Millions of visitors arriving annually from both sides to take Selfies, crap on the roadside and pay $100 to build a supervised campfire. It will put Mount Rushmore (at least until Deranged Donald's bust replaces that of George Washington) to shame...
Info from Humboldt, Mendocino counties but applicable to the South Coast. Interesting that the state is just getting around to figuring out what's in the runoff after how many years of large scale cultivation??
Carole, co-chair,Safe Ag, Safe Schools Monterey/SantaCruz counties
http://www.safeagsafeschools.org
Banned pesticides from illegal pot farms seep into California water