| Date: | Wednesday, February 1, 2023, at 6 p.m. |
| District: | 05 – Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Cruz Counties |
| Contact: | Kevin Drabinski or Alexa Bertola |
| Phone: | (805) 549-3138 or (805) 549-3237 |
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
UPDATE #20
HIGHWAY 1 AT POLAR STAR SLIDE SCHEDULED TO REOPEN
FOR LOCAL CONVOY ON FRIDAY FEB. 10
MONTEREY / SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTIES – Caltrans and contracted crews continue to repair damages to Highway 1 which have resulted in a closure of the roadway from just south of Ragged Point in San Luis Obispo County to Lime Creek in Monterey County.
Polar Star
Crews have continued to make good progress on slide removal and drainage restoration efforts at Polar Star, one mile south of Ragged Point in San Luis Obispo County, following a major slide which took place on Jan. 4.
Highway 1 at Polar Star is scheduled to reopen to a resupply convoy for local residents during the day on Friday Feb. 10.
Details about the Friday Feb. 10 convoy will be provided in an upcoming update.
Highway 1 from Polar Star to south of the Mill Creek Slide is scheduled to reopen to the public by the evening of Sunday Feb. 12, weather permitting.
Once Highway 1 at Polar Star reopens to the public on Sunday Feb. 12, travelers will be able to continue north until just before the Mill Creek Slide at PM 18. As work progresses there in the coming weeks, Caltrans will be looking for opportunities to allow convoys through at Mill Creek.
Monterey County Postmile 0.8
Repairs continue at PM 0.8 in Monterey County where storm damage has undermined parts of the southbound lane. Once Highway 1 reopens at Polar Star, a temporary signal system will support one-way reversing traffic control at this location. The southbound lane will remain behind k-rail while structural repairs are being built.
Mill Creek Slide PM 18
Two spider excavators have been deployed to remove slide material at Mill Creek at PM 18 where a major slide occurred on Jan. 15, 2023. The steep slope of the slide and the saturated soil have slowed progress significantly. A third spider excavator is being deployed to assist in slide removal due to the challenging conditions that exist on site. As slope conditions permit, other heavy equipment will be deployed to accelerate debris removal.
The estimated time for the reopening of Highway 1 through Mill Creek is now six weeks.
Monterey County Postmile 20.8
Structural design teams are assessing options to repair a retaining wall damaged in this winter’s storms. It is anticipated that both lanes of Highway 1 will remain open during construction efforts.
Paul’s Slide PM 22
New assessments are providing a picture of the scale of the movement of the slope at PM 22. Drone imagery suggests that this winter’s storms created a large landslide within an even larger magnitude slide.
The estimated time for the reopening of Highway 1 through Paul’s Slide is unknown at this time. Updates will be provided as more information becomes available.
Morning Glory PM 23.5
Crews have continued to make progress on repairing a lane which had settled dramatically after winter storms. Prep work has started to construct a buttress fill below the roadway with work expected to be completed by Friday Feb. 3.
Monterey County PM 32.6
Travelers will encounter one-way traffic control just north of the current closure at Lime Creek as crews work to clear a small slide.
Highway 1 North of Paul’s Slide Set to Reopen Friday Feb. 3
Highway 1 is scheduled to reopen between the north gate at Paul’s Slide at PM 22 and the current closure at Lime Creek at PM 32 on Friday, Feb. 3. Signs at southbound Highway 1 at Lime Creek will alert travelers that the road is closed except for travel by locals.
The closure of Highway 1 from the southern approach in San Luis Obispo County continues to be set at the elephant seal vista area, four miles north of San Simeon. That location was selected as it provides an opportunity for large vehicles to turn around, an opportunity that is largely unavailable north of that location.
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.
CHP Traffic Incident Information Page: http://cad.chp.ca.gov
Traveler information at: https://quickmap.dot.ca.gov/
Caltrans crewmember inspects slope at Mill Creek Slide, Jan. 31, 2023.
