Caltrans Evening Update, 3/11/23

Date:	Saturday, March 11, 2023, at 7:00 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 #29

STORM RESPONSE CONTINUES ON HIGHWAY 1

AS CLOSURE REMAINS IN EFFECT

MONTEREY / SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTIES – Highway 1 on the Big Sur coast will remain closed between Ragged Point in San Luis Obispo County and Deetjen’s Inn in Monterey County due to slides and rockfall from an ongoing winter storm event. There is no estimated time for reopening.

Crews responded to new slide and rockfall events throughout the day. Waterfalls have appeared at new locations and the soil throughout the coast remains saturated.

Crews will continue to make repairs tomorrow and will work all daylight hours in an effort to reopen the highway as soon as conditions permit for safe travel.

Blasting crews were called in to reduce large rocks at two locations on either side of the San Luis Obispo/Monterey County line. At one of these sites at PM 0.8 in Monterey County, a temporary signal has been in place and repairs were already being made to a slip out below the southbound travel lane. This location continues to experience significant slide activity as a result of the most recent storms.

At Mud Creek at PM 8.8, a boulder the size of a shipping container is perched in the netting above the roadway with crews assessing how best to approach its removal.

Considerable slide material continued to accumulate across the roadway at PM 29.5 as well as at Anderson Canyon at PM 35.3.

Caltrans crews are also on alert in northernmost Monterey County where the Pájaro River has breached its levee. Water continues to flow across agricultural fields towards Highway 1 near the Monterey/Santa Cruz County line.

A new atmospheric river, similar om intensity to our most recent rain event, is scheduled to arrive early next week accompanied by high winds.

Caltrans and contracted crews will continue to work all daylight hours, seven days a week, to respond to storm issues.

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.