Closure Limits on Highway One to remain in place from Elephant Seal Vista Point to Deetjen’s Inn

MONTEREY / SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTIES – Highway 1 on the Big Sur coast will remain closed due to damage from an ongoing winter storm event.

After overnight storms, crews began at first light to assess the roadway and reported dozens of areas affected by slides, rockfall, and water coursing across the road.

The southern closure limit of Highway 1 will remain at four miles north of San Simeon at the elephant seal vista area. The northern limit will stay at just south of Deetjen’s Big Sur Inn in Monterey County.

At the southern end of the closure area, crews still must clean up miles of slide material in addition to moving a large boulder from the roadway just south of the county line. Plugged culverts also need to be cleared where water is crossing over and down the highway. 

More rain is expected tonight.

At the northern end of the closure, there are at least three active and unstable slides. Caltrans will be joined tomorrow by contracted crews to continue to work to remove slide material and stabilize these slopes.

Crews will continue to work all daylight hours throughout the weekend in efforts to hasten the safe reopening of the highway for the travelling public.

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.