| Date: | Thursday, October 28, 2021 |
| District: | 05 – Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Cruz Counties |
| Contact: | Kevin Drabinski or Jim Shivers |
| Phone: | (805) 549-3138 or (805) 549-3237 |
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
HIGHWAY 1 ON BIG SUR COAST CLOSED DUE TO ROCKSLIDE
JUST NORTH OF MON/SLO COUNTY LINE
MONTEREY COUNTY – Caltrans contractors and maintenance teams continue to respond to a rockslide incident on Highway 1 that was identified the morning of October 27. The location of the rockslide is just north of the county line, at Post Mile 0.25 in southern Monterey County, approximately two miles north of Ragged Point.
Maintenance and geotechnical teams have identified a large, undermined rock outcrop above the roadway that needs to be removed from the hillside, brought down to the roadway, and transported off site.
Soil has been transported to the site to build up an access ramp on the southern side of the rock outcrop. This will allow excavators to safely access and remove the rock outcrop from the side.
Once the rock is removed, crews will need to assess the slope to determine if any protective features need to be installed on or below the slope.
Work is taking place across both lanes of the roadway. Highway 1 is still not expected to reopen before Wednesday November 3.
Crews and equipment will continue to work 7-days a week during daylight hours as long as site conditions are safe for crews.
This rockslide has resulted in full closure of Highway 1 at Ragged Point, just north of the Ragged Point Inn, which remains open.
A full closure of southbound Highway 1 has been put in place at Gorda (PM 10).
Highway 1 remains open for local travel from Carmel to Gorda. Notification of the closure is in place at several locations along Highway 1.
Updates will be provided as details about progress on the project become available.
Caltrans reminds motorists to move over and slow down when
driving through highway work zones.
For traffic updates on other state highways in Monterey County, travelers may contact Caltrans District 5 Public Affairs at 805-549-3318 or can visit the District 5 website at: https://dot.ca.gov/caltrans-near-me/district-5
Excavator constructing access ramp to side of rock outcrop 10.28.21
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Kevin Drabinski
Public Information Officer
Caltrans District 5
Thinking about you. Hope you’re doing alright! 🙏
Me too!
The slopes appear to be close to 1:1 or steeper in some places. Note the bedding angle of the exposed formational materials. When one cuts through such sites, removing the buttressing effect, should one not expect “rockfalls?” Not a matter of “if,” but when? How does one know that removing the intuitively “overhanging” rock will result in a “safe” situation?
The larger Plumas County slope failure appears to be quite similar, but on a larger scale. Either scale can kill.
Lotsa luck getting any civil to admit that it’s WAGgerier than SWAGgerrier. Calculations? More knowns and unknowns? Or more unknowns that knowns?
Approx. location: 35.79861429680237, -121.34598075760053
So SORRY! Didn’t proof.
Here’s some corrected text: “Lotsa luck getting any civil to admit that it’s WAGgerier than SWAGgerrier. Calculations? More knowns than unknowns? Or more unknowns than knowns?
I guess I”m going down the tubes . . .