Caltrans Update, 1/15/23

Date:	Sunday, January 15, 2023, at 3:30 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      (805) 549-3237

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

UPDATE #15

NEW SLIDE ACTIVITY ON HIGHWAY 1 WITH ASSESSMENTS TO CONTINUE

MONTEREY / SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTIES – Caltrans continues to make assessments at numerous locations on Highway 1 which are showing significant instability as a result of an ongoing rain event.

There is a new slide at PM 18, just south of Mill Creek, which has covered both lanes of the roadway. The gates at Paul’s Slide at PM 22 remain locked and recent activity there has moved sections of the catchment area’s concrete barriers into the center of the roadway. Crews are also responding to an area north of Lucia at PM 23.5, where a lane there has settled over a foot in the last two days. A new closure is in place at that location known as Morning Glory.

In addition, there are multiple locations within the closure area which are exhibiting activity and, in some cases, distributing material across the roadway or undermining the road.

Caltrans has resident crews within the closure area. These crews are conserving supplies as a result of this extended period of storms. Even during these storms, crews have continued to respond, and are making daily evaluations of the roadway.

In advance of clearing weather over the course of the next few days, Caltrans crews and additional contracted crews are being mobilized to help clear the road.

It is anticipated that a resupply convoy, such as the one that took place on Friday Jan. 13, may be able to be scheduled in the coming days as road and weather conditions permit and crews are able to clear a path.

The southern closure of Highway 1 will remain at the elephant seal viewing area, four miles north of San Simeon. A significant slide, one mile south of Ragged Point, extends over both lanes of travel. As a result, the highway is impassible at this location and is expected to restrict access to Ragged Point from the south for several weeks.

Road information and updates can also be found on Caltrans District 5 Social Media platforms: Twitter at: @CaltransD5, Facebook at: Caltrans Central Coast (District 5) and Instagram at: Caltrans_D5.

Our crews deserve to get home safely too.

Drive slowly and carefully in work zones.