Apparently MoCo and Cal Trans heard the 75 people from the Highlands (this past weekend alone), local Big Sur businesses and residents, as well as the tourists who called the various chambers and visitors centers…thank goodness.
Month: April 2018
Tourist Tuesdays, 4/17/18
It is hard to write anything for today, after dealing with the Rio Rd. fiasco all weekend, for the second weekend in a row, and also seeing and hearing – loud parties, drunks asleep in the middle of the road, and booming speakers – what people did in my neighborhood. None of what you see below was here a few years ago, and the off-roading was twice as bad on Sunday as it was on Wednesday when I went down the hill to town. So many new tracks and destruction over the weekend. I am saddened beyond belief and my hope in maintaining any semblance of wilderness has been shaken. Soon, all the wildflowers, grasses, and wildlife will be gone.
Tomorrow I will be attending the MCCVB Sustainability Forum, and it will be a challenge for me. I want people who contribute to this madness to be held responsible for the damage. I want those charged with protecting the wilderness, the coast, the highway, and the community to take responsibility. Have we reached the tipping point? Are we past the point of no return?
Rio Rd. Construction Manager Letter, 4/16/18
You are correct it was a mess Saturday for NB traffic. The added Big Sur area visitor traffic due to Spring Break created more afternoon traffic volume that the controller at Rio Road can handle. I am meeting with Caltrans and the county to determine means to reduce the weekend afternoon traffic issues.
We are underway this week to modify Rio Road shopping center side so we can dedicate more signal time to weekend Northbound Highway 1.
We are also working with TAMC to determine if we can reroute Carmel Traffic away from the intersection. Lastly we attempted to flag the intersection to provide relief to northbound traffic but the flaggers pulled off the work as it was unsafe due to uncooperative drivers.
By the way this project was designed by a private firm on behalf of TAMC and the County of Monterey and Caltrans. It is also being constructed by private construction company. This is a congested area with no or few alternative routes, many past proposals to resolve highway congestion in the Carmel area have been met with resistance from the area communities. The existing pavement has aged to the point most of it has to be completely replaced adding to the size of the project and increased the impact to traffic.
In reference to your comment about a 24/7 work schedule the County of Monterey has a noise ordinance that precludes working at night with the exception of specific work.
Thank you for your comments, we will continue to work towards solutions to minimize delays.
| Dan Miller | ||
| Construction Manager |
Highway One Closure Update, 4/16/18
No change on the usual updates, same info as always. Here are the photos, however:
Photos (1-3) of Mud Creek (PM 8.9) from Saturday, April 14; (4-5) of the Coastlands (PM 44.41)
Weather Report, 4/16/18
Just now: Think it is time to build a fire, as this continues and I am getting more of this.
Snow tonight/tomorrow morning? 4/15/18
Cold enough…looks like after 11 pm
Photo Sunday, 4/15
This is the first yellow Indian Paintbrush I have ever seen up here.
And always a favorite place to photograph:
Rio Rd. Weekend back-up, 4/14/18
6:40 pm -it is now showing 6 miles of back-up.
As of 6 pm, Martha Diehl reports: “As of this time NB traffic backed up to the long turnout past the Otter Cove gate.” I’ll bet you are glad to be going south, Martha.
As of 3:41 pm Saturday afternoon, traffic was backed all the way back to the little gas station at the Highlands, Fern Canyon.
Here is what it looked like further north. Photo by DJ Singh.
Another Film Project on 4/24/18
Car Commercial Filming, Mon & Tues
BTW, TOWN WAS A BREEZE TODAY – going and coming.
