| Date: | Friday, November 15, 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 #21
GIRDER INSTALLATION TO RESULT IN FULL 24-HOUR CLOSURE OF HIGHWAY 1 AT ROCKY CREEK STARTING FRIDAY DECEMBER 13 AT 10 PM
MONTEREY COUNTY – Caltrans is continuing 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 30 slipout resulted in a loss of a section of the southbound lane.
Crews building a viaduct on the stabilized southbound lane of Highway 1 at Rocky Creek are approaching an important construction milestone. During an upcoming full 24-hour closure crews will install nine pre-cast concrete girders which will serve as the support structure for the southbound lane of the viaduct bridge deck.
Two heavy cranes, one at each end of the viaduct, will work in tandem to install the girders during this closure. A 24-hour closure is necessary due to the scope of the work involved and because of the time needed for the set up and break down of the cranes.
A full closure of Highway 1 at Rocky Creek will be in effect from Friday, Dec. 13 at 10 pm until Saturday, Dec. 14 at 10 pm.
The schedule for this 24-hour closure is weather dependent. In the weeks and days leading up to the girder installation, updates will be provided to confirm or announce any changes to this schedule. Should weather force the rescheduling of the girder installation, the first alternative date for this work would be Saturday, Dec. 14 at 10 pm to Sunday, Dec. 15 at 10 pm.
No other overnight closures of Highway 1 at Rocky Creek are scheduled through Thursday, Dec. 12. Crews continue to make substantial progress on the casting of reinforced concrete columns which will support the weight of the viaduct structure. These construction activities will take place during daytime hours.
Flagging crews will continue to direct daytime travelers who can expect intermittent delays of up to 20 minutes to allow for continued movement of crews and equipment.
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.
Although Highway 1 remains closed 40 miles south of Carmel due to the Regent’s Slide, travelers from northern California are still able to visit the Big Sur coast and its historic bridges, waterfalls, restaurants, and lodging amenities.
Travelers to the Big Sur coast from southern California will also encounter a closure of the coast highway at Regent’s Slide but are still able to reach the unparalleled views, lodging amenities, and natural wonders along Highway 1 when they visit Lucia, the Camaldoli Hermitage, Gorda, Ragged Point, San Simeon, and Cambria. The vast majority of the Big Sur coast remains accessible and open. [editor’s note: One is still unable to drive thru from Carmel to Cambria or vice a versa.]
