| Date: | Friday, August 16, 2024 |
| District: | 05 – Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Cruz Counties |
| Contact: | Kevin Drabinski or Genelle Padilla |
| Phone: | (805) 549-3138 or (805) 549-3237 |
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CALTRANS HALTS EXCAVATION WORK AT REGENT’S SLIDE ON HIGHWAY 1
DUE TO SLIDE ACTIVITY
Much of Highway 1 along the Big Sur coast remains accessible and open
MONTEREY COUNTY – Caltrans today announced that it has temporarily halted excavation work on Highway 1 at Regent’s Slide due to continuing slide activity in and around the repair site. While much of Highway 1 along the Big Sur coast remains accessible and open, Caltrans engineers are now assessing the slide area and gathering data to keep the public informed of the new timeline for reopening.
While excavating the slope with bulldozers earlier this month, crews noticed surface cracking at several points around the area being excavated, indicating additional slide activity. Caltrans mapped this cracking and determined that this new slide would likely continue to move and impact the ongoing work to reopen the roadway. For the safety of work crews, Caltrans halted excavation work.
Highway 1 at Regent’s Slide has been closed since February 9, 2024, due to a slide that originated 450 feet above the roadway. The slide displaced material that engulfed the roadway and continued down to the beach and ocean below. While Caltrans has made progress toward reopening the roadway, repair efforts have been challenged by the height and steepness of the slope, which have required flexibility and frequent adjustments to repair strategies to ensure the safety of workers on site.
Although through travel on Highway 1 from Carmel to Cambria is not possible at this time, travel to the communities of Cambria, San Simeon, and all the amenities of the south coast continue to be within reach from Southern California, as do businesses and attractions on the coast south of the Monterey/Carmel area coming from Northern California.
Earlier this week, Caltrans installed three sensors where surface cracking was observed. Caltrans will collect data from these sensors over the next several weeks to determine the magnitude, rate, direction, depth, and type of movement involved. Engineers will evaluate data to determine if additional stabilization work is needed. Excavation work will resume once Caltrans confirms it is safe to do so.
A 6.8-mile segment of Highway 1 will remain closed while repairs continue. Regent’s Slide is located 45 miles south of Carmel at Post Mile (PM) 27.8. The southern turnaround point on Highway 1 is at PM 25.3, two miles north of Lucia. The northern turnaround point is located at Lime Creek at PM 32.1, just south of the Esalen Institute.
Road information and updates can also be found on Caltrans District 5 Social Media platforms: X/Twitter at: @CaltransD5, Facebook at: Caltrans Central Coast (District 5) and Instagram at: Caltrans_D5.
