REPAIR WORK AT BIXBY BRIDGE MAY EXTEND
TO CLOSE HIGHWAY 1 FRIDAY OVERNIGHT
The confirmed closures this week are as follows:
Wednesday March 30 10 pm to 6 am
Thursday March 31 10 pm to 6 am
On Friday morning April 1, an update will be provided as to whether an extra night of work is needed to complete repairs to the bridge structure. In the event that Friday overnight work is needed, the schedule for the closure of Highway 1 at the Bixby Bridge would be as follows:
Friday April 1 11 pm to 6 am
Again, an update will be provided via press release and social media the morning of Friday April 1 as to whether or not the Friday overnight of work is needed.
Note: Due to the use of a large crane and other heavy equipment on the bridge during the closure, the roadway would take at least 30 minutes to reopen for emergency vehicles.
Caltrans is working closely with the California Highway Patrol to coordinate traffic control and emergency response during closure hours.
In case of an emergency requiring travel across the Bixby Bridge during the hours of the closures, residents and all travelers are advised to call 911
There is no detour for this closure and traffic control will direct motorists to return along Highway 1 in the direction from which they came.
Message and directional signs will alert motorists in advance of the closure area.
These closures are necessary for contracted maintenance crews to perform repairs and inspections on the bridge support for the safety of all travelers.
I suppose you’ve learned to adjust to this sort of occurrence.
(looks like I’m allowed to comment again. YAY!!!) 🤗
Does this work include removing the dark stains that have been on much of the bridge below the roadway deck? Or have those already been removed recently? I’m just curious, as I come to Big Sur for about 5 days every year, and the last few years, the bridge has been pretty stained. I’m not an Instagrammer, but I do like to do some photography in the area most years and have been holding off using a 4×5 film camera to take pictures there as that size film now costs ~$40-50 per exposure of slide film these days with the cost of film, developing, and scanning. My digital and smaller format film pictures over the last several years haven’t looked great as the bridge definitely needed a cleaning.
Joe L,
There are plenty of pictures of Bixby Bridge publicly available. The community (and world) do not need anymore. There are literally millions of pictures of this one bridge in every possible lighting. I’m sorry a few stains have inhibited your picture taking over the past few years. Maybe try one of the other several dozen bridges that span the Big Sur coast. Or don’t. It’s just a bridge. Bixby (Rainbow) Bridge is overexploited and the need for it to be spotless doesn’t help anyone. Please consider the community that needs this bridge to travel north and south before thinking of how pretty the bridge looks in your 4×5 picture.
Bridge Guy,
I won’t get into the whole “all the pictures have been taken already” debate. What I will say is that if you want a fine art large print of Bixby Bridge from an accomplished photographer, that is not an inconsiderable amount of money. You can’t just go online and download a picture from a Google search; either the picture will not be suitable to be printed at size, or it will be copyrighted by the photographer and you will need to pay them for it.
I only photograph at that (or any) location when there is actual open parking in the turnoff. I’ve seen the massive increase in traffic on CA-1 and in those turnouts over the last 12 years that I’ve been coming to Big Sur. Part of the reason I ask whether the repairs included the stain removal is precisely because of the overcrowding at that particular location; if I am going to attempt to take any pictures at Bixby Bridge, I plan to have a day or two in the area around midweek, as that’s usually the only way I’ll be able to get there in a way that doesn’t inconvenience those who need to use the road.
Unlike most folks who just drive through for the day, My wife and I spend several nights each year at either the River Inn or Fernwood Resort, eating at the local restaurants and shopping at the local shops. We’re the sort of tourists that contribute meaningfully to the local economy. Most of why we come is that we truly love the place; we don’t like the huge increase in visitors any more than you do – it certainly doesn’t improve my chances of being able to be at the right place at the right time for the right light. It’s possible that I may never get that chance; I’m certainly not going to take up a precious turnout spot for hours waiting for it. But I treasure our time relaxing in Big Sur whether a photographic opportunity presents itself or not.
No worries, I’ll find out whether the repairs have changed the appearance of the bridge at all when I visit the area this year. Cheers!
Joe, you sound like a tourist who may RESPECT BIG SUR, most don’t. Hoping for cosmetics at a spot that needs traffic and parking enforcement for safety riles locals because it seems tone deaf, regardless of the money you spend here.
Scrub Oak,
You know what, that’s a fair criticism. If I was going to ask the question I should have just skipped the background, which in hindsight was unnecessary and touched a nerve.
A gentleman reply, hope you enjoy your stay and capture your photo.
Thank you so much! I’m looking forward to a nice long weekend among the coast redwoods.