Here is a traffic alert from Cal Trans re night work starting tomorrow for 3 nights. That ought to be fun for the campers at Limekiln.
Traffic/Noise Alert: work crews are doing bridge deck repair on #Hwy1 south of #BigSur above Limekiln @CAStateParks (Mile Marker 21) for three nights from 7pm until 6am beginning tomorrow, Tues, July 24. @bigsurkate
Also, I am keeping my eye on a fire between Camp Roberts and Lake Nacimiento. Calfire SLO has thrown all sorts of resources up against this.
Photo sent by Cate Goblirsch Lee, an aerial taken by Calfire at 5 pm. At some point during the Soberanes Fire, Cate went to an event with her husband Rob and fell asleep standing up. This was a long campaign for all involved.
So much has happened since, I had forgotten the anniversary, until Lana Weeks reminded me.
By Daniel Danbom, having some fun. Look for another class of tourists coming soon.
UPDATE; Both fires were kept under 50 acres. Rock/Chimney is 40% contained and Mustang is 80% contained. Crews remain on site for both, and expect containment today, Sunday.
4 pm – They renamed the Rock, the Chimney Fire (version 2.0, I would say.) Ordered up more strike teams, more tankers and more WTs.
3:30 pm – another one off of Lake Nacimiento Dr. called the Mustang Fire. About 10-15 acres with a moderate rate of spread. Could be someone dragging a chain. If so, there could be more before they catch him/her.
3 pm – New fire out by Chimney Rock. You may remember one from 2016 called the Chimney Fire. I reported on it starting here: Chimney Fire it started on August 13, and went at least until the end of the month. People were caught up and had to evacuate by boat from Lake Nacimiento.
This afternoon, another one in that area has begun. The IC reports 8 acres and potential for 50 out on the “flats.” B3413, all aircraft on order, eng. 33, 3460, 3462, 3472 4684, WT 50, D3441 and 3441, and Cuest 2 and 3.
The winds here are calm. I hope they are there as well.
Ragged Point did a wonderful job of hosting this event. It was extremely well attended. I have more photos and a good description of the project as built.
Ribbon cutting with the new Cal Trans Director, Laurie Berman (almost hidden but with scissors) & John Madonna (pink shirt) the contractor.
Here are a couple others: 
IHere is a better photo of Laurie Berman, Cal Trans Director.
This is Commissioner Warren Stanley, CHP Commissioner
Anna Caballero, State Assembly
Bill Monning, State Senator
John Madonna, Madonna Construction
Part of John’s crew
Some of the crowd
“The project design philosophy: The plan to open the highway was guided in part by the 2004 Big Sur Coast Highway Management Plan. The document was prepared by Caltrans with guidance from a 19-member Sterling committeee including participation from local stakeholders Part of this plan was an overview of geology and landslides on the Big Sur Coast and it provided guidelines and techniques for how to manage and respond to these events. From this, a realignment alternative rose to the top because it was the efficient cost evfective, and ecologically mindful alternative available to reopen the highway. To do this however, protective features need to be building including:
*Rock Revetment: On the new shoreline, a rock revetment over 2000 feet long and 40 feet tall was built to prevent erosion and secured the main body of the slide. Without the revetment, the soil from the landslide would have been eroded away leaving nowhere to place the realigned highway. The revetment also reduced the amount of sediment entering critical black abalone habitat found up and down the Big Sur Coast.
*Engineered Embankments, Berms, and Catchments: Built in lifts to ensure proper compaction and reinforced with geosythetic fabric in steeper locations the 160 to 260-foot tall embankments, supported the realigned highway. Located above the berms, hilflicker retaining walls and strategic catchments were constructed to handle anticipated debris from the dynamic, continued and thoroughly monitored movement of the landslide. These work together to move and protect the highway away from the more active portions of the project site
*Culverts, Netting, and Other Protective Features: As the site matures, it is anticipated that debris will come down from the hillside. Culverts to handle runoff were installed, netting to reduce the energy of falling debris, and other protective features will allow for a defensible space for the highway and out maintenance forces.” (From program at the ceremony.)
Header photo by bigsurkate
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AS OF 2/16/26 — HIGHWAY ONE IS CLOSED FROM RAGGED POINT TO 1 MILE SOUTH OF DEETJEN’S UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE DUE TO MULTIPLE ROCK AND MUD SLIDES.
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Links for phone users who can’t see the links to the right without scrolling through two years of posts. I’ll start with just a few, but if you have others you wish to see here, let me know.
Big Sur Maps (3) with slide names, locations, etc.: https://bigsurkate.blog/big-sur-interactive-highway-maps-with-slide-names-mile-markers/
Caltrans Interactive Map: https://quickmap.dot.ca.gov/
CHP dispatch: https://cad.chp.ca.gov/Traffic.aspx
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Interactive Highway Map with Mile Markers and slide names is to the right, under “Pages” first one *Big Sur Interactive Maps... if the following link doesn’t work. *Big Sur Interactive Slide Maps will answer any questions you may have about where something is in relation to something else.
MY DIRECT EMAIL IS: kwnovoa(AT)mac(dot)com
CALTRANS TO PERFORM TREE REMOVAL ON BOTH DIRECTIONS OF STATE ROUTE 1 IN CARMEL NEXT THURSDAY ONLY, JULY 26
MONTEREY COUNTY –State Route 1 will be under one-way reversing traffic control for tree removal south of Atherton Drive near the Carmel High School on both directions of State Route 1, in Carmel next Thursday, July 26 from 9 am until 2 pm.
There will be electronic message boards alerting the public of this lane closure. Motorists
may encounter delays of 15- 20 minutes as a crane will be used.
Traffic control will be performed by Caltrans Monterey Maintenance for the Salinas Tree
Crew to remove a dead Monterey pine and to ensure a safe environment for all travelers.
7 am – from NOAA – Particularly applicable to the South Coast of Big Sur’s higher elevations.
“More interesting is the influx of monsoonal moisture into the southern third of our district from the desert southwest, as can be seen on satellite water vapor imagery. Local radars are showing fast-moving widely-scattered showers moving from east to west across northern San Luis Obispo county, and one cell with a 50 dBZ core now quickly moving across extreme southern Monterey county. No nearby lightning detected as of now, but increased chances of this are expected later today as the moisture continues to filter northward into more of our CWA. The possibility for high-based thunderstorm activity will persist into Friday.”
1:45 pm – Looks to be long term, with a wildfire that is threatening to be 500-1000 acres. Paso Robles has sent all their aircraft to this one, I believe called Cruces. Here are the details on chp, as it has not made it to Cal Fire, yet.
From Cal Trans: SigAlert: a brush fire north of #Gaviota has CLOSED #Hwy1 each way up to #Lompoc so use #Hwy101, #Hwy246 as other routes. Expect traffic delays in area & watch for emergency vehicles. @countyofsb @SBCFireInfo
| Detail Information | |||||||
| 1:11 PM | 25 | [62] 3-S3 ADVISED DOT TO PUT A CLOSURE AT SR1 X JALAMA FOR TRAFFIC CONTROL ON JALAMA | |||||
| 1:03 PM | 24 | [60] 3-S1 HAVE C73 MOVE CLOSURE TO JALAMA | |||||
| 1:00 PM | 23 | [59] SIG ALERT LOG 94 | |||||
| 12:44 PM | 22 | [51] [Notification] [CHP]-SBSO ADVSD FIRE HAS POTENTIAL TO GROW FROM 500-1000 ACRES OR MORE | |||||
| 12:31 PM | 21 | [50] 3-55 MOVED CLOSURE TO MM 4 | |||||
| 12:28 PM | 20 | [49] 1039 LPD | |||||
| 12:27 PM | 19 | [48] 3-S1 LL BLOCKED SR1 X SR246 W/ BARRICADES / AFFIRM / ONE UNIT IS 97 / | |||||
| 12:24 PM | 18 | [46] 1039 ENTAC | |||||
| 12:23 PM | 17 | [45] 3-S1 NOTIFY ENTAC LONG TERM CLOSURE / REQ CALL OFC TO GET B WATCH IN EARLY | |||||
| 12:20 PM | 16 | [42] 1039 DOT | |||||
| 12:18 PM | 15 | [41] 3-S1 REQ CAL TRANS TO CLOSURE SR1 X SR246 | |||||
| 12:15 PM | 14 | [40] 1039 LPD | |||||
| 12:12 PM | 13 | [37] 1039 SBSO | |||||
| 12:11 PM | 12 | [36] 3-55 / TRAFFIC STOPPED SB JNO FIRE / GATE TO PROPERTY WHERE FIRE CAN ACCESS / PROP OWNER 97 WILL OPEN GATE | |||||
| 12:08 PM | 11 | [34] A3-055 TURNING VEHS AROUND ON SB SIDE | |||||
| 12:05 PM | 10 | [32] [Notification] [CHP]-DOT COPY / 30 MINS ETA | |||||
| 12:03 PM | 9 | [31] 1039 DOT | |||||
| 12:03 PM | 8 | [30] 3-55 START DOT FOR FULL CLOSURE / HEAVY SMOKE IN THE AREA | |||||
| 12:02 PM | 7 | [29] 1039 DOT | |||||
| 12:01 PM | 6 | [25] 3-S1 LL / INQ IF CLOSURE NEEDED FROM DOT / 3-55 POSSIBLY / WILL SHUT DOWN NB #2 FOR SURE / 3-S1 CPYS / START DOT | |||||
| 12:00 PM | 5 | [23] SMOKE IN THE AREA | |||||
| 11:59 AM | 4 | [20] 3-55 ON N SIDE OF RDWY | |||||
| 11:59 AM | 3 | [18] [Notification] [CHP]-GLD TRUCK PULLING TRLR APPEARS 1126 NEXT TO FIRE | |||||
| 11:54 AM | 2 | [5] SMOKE VISIBLE | |||||
| 11:54 AM | 1 | [3] BRUSH FIRE | |||||
Per MoCo NOAA:
As the upper ridge edges eastward later in the week, increased low and mid-level moisture will enhance the afternoon thunderstorm possibility across mainly the eastern and southern portions of California through the end of the week.
Per John Lindsay of SLO Co:
San Luis Obispo County can expect triple-digit temperatures, “monsoonal moisture” and dry lightning this week, according to PG&E meteorologist John Lindsey.
And that combination could prove to be a recipe for wildfire, he said.
“Whenever you have this much dry fuel, combined with warm temperatures and the possibility of dry lightning, fire danger is going to be for our area very high,” Lindsey said. Fire danger will remain “Very High” Wednesday through Friday, before dropping down to “High” through Saturday and Sunday.
