Rocky Creek Update, 10/3/24

Date:	Thursday, October 3, 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

UPDATE #12

UPCOMING REPAIR SCHEDULE ON HIGHWAY 1 AT ROCKY CREEK

TO INCLUDE FULL OVERNIGHT CLOSURES

MONTEREY COUNTY – Caltrans will continue with emergency repairs to Highway 1 near the Rocky Creek Bridge, 12 miles south of Carmel. Caltrans previously stabilized and reinforced Highway 1 at this location after a March 30slipout resulted in a loss of a section of the southbound lane.

Upcoming Repair Schedule

Drilling and casting of reinforced concrete columns will result in a series of full overnight closures of Hwy. 1 at Rocky Creek. Travelers can expect the following full and intermittent closures:

·       For Thursday Oct. 3, there will be a full overnight closure of Hwy. 1 at Rocky Creek from 10 pm to 6 am.

·       There are no closures scheduled on Friday Oct. 4 and Saturday Oct. 5.

·       Five consecutive full overnight closures are confirmed from Sunday Oct. 6 thru Thursday Oct. 10, from 10 pm to 6 am.

·       A full closure of Highway 1 at Rocky Creek will take place on Friday October 11, from 11:30 pm to 5:30 am, to allow for a crane to deploy equipment on site. 

Updates will be provided regarding any travel impacts for the week of Oct. 13.

Overnight Closures Needed for Construction of Support Columns

Crews are entering a critical phase of construction of the southbound section of the Rocky Creek viaduct. This viaduct is a bridge-like structure and during this next phase reinforced concrete support columns will be cast to support the weight of the structure.

Because this phase of construction involves drilling and concrete work in open holes, it is necessary for crews to maximize the number of consecutive shifts with full overnight closures so that the integrity of the bored holes is preserved. Working on an uninterrupted schedule also allows for this phase to be completed in advance of wet weather, reducing the chance for water intrusion and delays to the project schedule.

Daytime travelers will continue to enjoy access through the repair site driving on the northbound lane and directed by a temporary signal system.

Once construction of the southbound section of the Rocky Creek viaduct is complete, travel will be directed onto this southbound section and work will begin on construction of the northbound portion of the viaduct.

The estimate for completion of the Rocky Creek viaduct is summer 2025 and is dependent on conditions encountered during construction. The contractor for this project is Gordon N. Ball, Inc. of Alamo, CA.

Highway 1 remains closed 40 miles south of Carmel due to the Regent’s Slide. However, the vast majority of the Big Sur coast remains accessible and open.###

Kevin Drabinski. Public Information Officer