Month: December 2021

Highway One to reopen at 5 tonight with 24 hour control at site of active slide

Date:Friday, December 31, 2021 at 2:30 pm
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 REOPENS TODAY AT 5 PM IN NORTHERN SLO COUNTY

SUBJECT TO 24-HOUR TRAFFIC CONTROL AT SITE OF STILL ACTIVE SLIDE

SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY – Highway 1 in northern San Luis Obispo County, which has been closed due to a slide since Sunday Dec. 26, will be reopened at 5 pm today subject to 24-hour traffic control.

The reopening of Highway 1 under 24-hour traffic control has been made possible by progress on the dislodging of a mass of undermined rock and debris from above the roadway.

Caltrans maintenance staff and contracted crews performed rock scaling – rappelling down the hillside – to dislodge debris and rock. These efforts were followed by blasting of the rock mass. A series of rock scaling and blasting efforts resulted in removal of major portions of the undermined rock mass.

Engineers are still evaluating water percolating from areas around the reduced rock mass and the slide area will be under continuous monitoring by crews with equipment on site to remove any debris from this still active slide. Crews will continue to work at this slide in the coming weeks.

Travelers will encounter 24-hour, one-way reversing traffic control in the vicinity of the slide which is located about two miles south of Ragged Point at a location known as Polar Star at Post Mile 71.8.

Travelers can expect delays that will be controlled by site conditions and slide activity. 

Message and directional signs will be in place to alert travelers in the area.

For traffic updates on other state highways in San Luis Obispo 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

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Kevin Drabinski

Public Information Officer

Caltrans District 5

Video of Scaling operation on Highway One

Caltrans maintenance staff, engineers and contracted scaling teams performed rock scaling today on Hwy. 1 south of Ragged Point where a rock slide occurred. Assessments and work to dislodge an undermined rock formation continues tomorrow followed by our update. (Jim Shivers, Caltrans)

instagram.com/stories/bigsurkate/2740948496922792932

Video of rock scaling operation on 12/30/21

Highway One remains closed, 12/30/21

This morning’s chp report:

Incident: 00072 Type: CLOSURE of a Road Location: 1 Mm1 N Mon 0.00 Loc Desc: 1 CLOSED AT RAGGED POINT Lat/Lon: 35.795240 -121.345289 

Detail Information
8:39 AM4[4] THE SIGNS NR CARMEL RIVER BRIDGE
8:38 AM3[3] 22 ADV THE SIGNS AT RIBERA STATE THAT SR1 IS OPEN TO SAN SIMEON
8:36 AM2[2] CALTRANS CONFIRMED SR1 IS STILL CLOSED
8:35 AM1[1] 1 CLOSED AT RAGGED POINT / NO DETOURS

Highway One remains closed

Date:Tuesday, December 28, 2021 at 4:50 p.m.
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 REMAINS CLOSED IN NORTHERN SLO COUNTY

DUE TO ACTIVE SLIDE

SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY – Highway 1 remains closed due to rockfall and debris in the roadway in northern San Luis Obispo County from just south of Ragged Point to the Elephant Seal Vista Point. There is no estimated time for reopening.

Maintenance teams and contractors continue to assess how to safely remove an undermined rock mass on the hill high above the roadway. The slide itself is located about two miles south of Ragged Point at a location known as Polar Star at Post Mile 71.8.

On Monday Dec. 27, Caltrans entered into a $1.25 million emergency contract with Souza Construction of San Luis Obispo to clear the slide, remove the unsupported rock above the roadway, and perform other related repairs.

The slide has remained active and crews will not have a definitive decision on a course of action until after rains expected in the coming days have subsided.

Crews will continue to monitor and assess the situation during daylight hours and updates will be provided as more information becomes available.

Travelers from the Monterey/Carmel area should be advised that Highway 1 remains open from the north, through Big Sur proper, all the way down to Ragged Point. Travelers from the south are advised that Highway 1 remains open through Cambria and San Simeon.

Barricades, cones, as well as message and directional signs are in place at both ends of the closure to alert motorists traveling in the area.

For traffic updates on other state highways in San Luis Obispo 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

Highway One remains closed

As of 8 am, Highway One remains closed at Polar Star today. The unofficial word has it that there might be scaling and or blasting to rid the slide of more material from the top. This will bring all the loose material down so that it might be cleared from the highway and make it safe to work under the slide area.

Incident: 00033 Type: SIG Alert Location: Sr1 / Hearst Castle Rd Loc Desc: SR1 BTWN HEARST CASTLE AND RAGGED PT Lat/Lon: 35.643926 -121.185438 

Detail Information
8:00 AM1[1] SR1 CLOSED FM HEARST CASTLE TO MM 71 JNO RAGGED POINT

Polar Star aka Jaguar Jump Slide Photos

In the time of the original Road Warrior, Don Harlan, this spot was called “Jaguar Jump” after a car that did not make the turn, jumping off the highway and over the edge. More recently, it has been referred to as Polar Star, after a mine which is back behind this area a mile or two, accessed from a road further south of this point. It is a mine Rock Knocker took me to once. There is a creek crossing to get there, and during the winter, the caretaker can not get across the creek. We went during the dry time. It is a cinnabar mine.

These photos were taken yesterday afternoon by Caltrans when the slide was very active.

Date:Monday, December 27, 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) 549-3237FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                                                           HIGHWAY 1 CLOSED IN SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY FOLLOWING ROCKSLIDES

SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY – Rockfall and debris in the roadway associated with an ongoing rain event has resulted in the closure of Highway 1 from the Elephant Seal Parking Lot north of San Simeon to south of Ragged Point in San Luis Obispo County. The slide is located two miles south of Ragged Point at a location known as Polar Star.

There is currently no estimated time for reopening as maintenance/engineer teams are assessing the closure area this morning and will continue to work during daylight hours when it’s safe for crews to do so prior to any change of the closure parameters. Decisions on modifying the closure parameters will be determined by these field assessments. The cleanup effort could be impacted by additional rainfall in the area.

Barricades, cones as well as message and directional signs are in place at both ends of the closure to alert motorists traveling in the area.

Rock Slide at San Carpoforo blocking both NB and SB lanes

Photo from KSBY, TV

UPDATE: Added to chp site:

The closure at San Carpoforo will be for several days, Not a scrape and go.
Incident: 00099 Type: Mud/Dirt/Rock Location: SR1 / San Carpoforo Creek Loc Desc: SR1 AT SAN CARPOFORO CREEK Lat/Lon: 35.753709 -121.312614
Detail Information
3:53 PM 10 [35] SR1 CLOSED AT MM71 JNO ELEPHANT SEALS VISTA POINT
3:40 PM 9 [31] BOTH LANES ARE COMPLETELY BLOCKED / IMPASSABLE
3:37 PM 8 [27] S3 VIA LL; NEED CT TO SET UP NB CLSR JNO ELEPHANT SEALS, LONG TERM – MIN SEVERAL DAYS – ROCKS ARE STILL SLIDING – LARGE ROCK DEBRIS ACTIVELY FALLING OFF THE MOUNTAIN SIDE

From chp, slo:

Incident: 00099 Type: Mud/Dirt/Rock Location: SR1 / San Carpoforo Creek Loc Desc: SR1 AT SAN CARPOFORO CREEK Lat/Lon: 35.753709 -121.312614 

Detail Information
2:29 PM7[25] [Notification] [CHP]-RP CALLING FRM RAGGED PT MINI MART – RDWY COMPLETELY BLKD, SB VEHS UNABLE TO GET THROUGH [Shared]
2:14 PM6[17] 14B INQ W/FISH AND WILDLIFE IF ROAD IS ALSO WASHED OUT
2:12 PM5[11] [Appended, 14:13:43] [2] FISH AND WILDLIFE 1097
2:12 PM4[10] [Appended, 14:13:43] [1] ROCK SLIDE BLOCKING BOTH LNS
2:02 PM3[6] RP ADV IT WILL CAUSE VEH BACKUP
2:01 PM2[4] DIRT AND ROCKS 1125 NB AND SB LANES
2:00 PM1[1] CALLER ADV ROCKS 1125
Unit Information

Highway One reopens, 11 am, 12/26/21

Date:Sunday, December 26, 2021 at 11 am
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) 549-3237FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                  HIGHWAY 1 ON THE BIG SUR COAST NOW OPEN FOLLOWING ROCKSLIDE ACTIVITY

MONTEREY/SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTIES – Highway 1 on the Big Sur Coast between Ragged Point in San Luis Obispo County and near Deetjen’s Big Sur Inn in Monterey County (44.6 miles) has re-opened as of 11 am following rockslides in multiple locations which has been removed by Caltrans maintenance crews.

Travelers should drive carefully during the winter driving season and be aware of Caltrans, tow trucks and emergency responders on the highway.

For traffic updates on other state highways in Monterey and San Luis Obispo Counties, 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

Highway One currently closed

Date:Sunday, December 26, 2021 at 8 am
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 THE BIG SUR COAST CLOSED DUE TO MULTIPLE ROCKSLIDES

MONTEREY/SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTIES – Rockfall and debris in the roadway associated with an ongoing rain event has resulted in the closure of Highway 1 this morning on the Big Sur Coast between Ragged Point in San Luis Obispo County and near Deetjen’s Big Sur Inn in Monterey County (44.6 miles) while emergency rockfall and debris removal take place.

There is currently no estimated time for reopening as maintenance teams continue to assess the closure area during daylight hours.

Assessments of the closure area of Highway 1 will continue to take place during daylight hours and when safe to do so prior to any modification of the closure parameters. Decisions on modifying the closure parameters will be by these field assessments.

This closure of Highway 1 extends from Ragged Point in San Luis Obispo County to near Deetjen’s Big Sur Inn in Monterey County. 

Ragged Point is located 1.45 miles south of the SLO/Monterey County line:

https://goo.gl/maps/3TwYXL6sS1dRbPZi8

Deetjen’s Big Sur Inn is located in Monterey County at Post Mile 42.1:

https://goo.gl/maps/bup3meiu6iKeNqkJ8

Barricades, cones, as well as message and directional signs will be in place at both ends of the closure to alert motorists traveling in the area. 

For traffic updates on other state highways in Monterey and San Luis Obispo Counties, 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