Category: 2017-2018 Storm/Rain reports

Cal Trans announces opening date of Mud Creek

Today’s Date:  Tuesday, July 3, 2018

District:     05 – Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Monterey, San Benito and Santa

Cruz Counties

Contact:                                  Jim Shivers or Colin Jones

Phone:                                   (805) 549-3237 or 549-3189

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                

CALTRANS ANNOUNCES PLAN TO RE-OPEN STATE ROUTE 1 AT MUD CREEK AFTERMASSIVE LANDSLIDE

Highway Opening Set for July 20 Restores Full Access to the Big Sur Coast

MONTEREY COUNTY–Caltrans has announced that State Route 1 at Mud Creek along the southern Big Sur Coast is scheduled to re-open by Friday, July 20 at 11 am.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the opening will take place at the Ragged Point Inn at that time.

The re-opening of this section of State Route 1 follows a massive landslide on May 20, 2017 which resulted in the movement of six million cubic yards of material and 50 acres of displaced land, including the creation of 2,400 feet of new shoreline. A quarter-mile section of roadway was lost due to this landslide.

“We’re very pleased to share this long-awaited news with everyone who travels along this international destination the many businesses that benefit from the coast highway,” said Caltrans Director Laurie Berman. “Mud Creek is the last closure point so travelers will be able to take Highway 1 all the way through Big Sur for the first time in 18 months.

This section of State Route 1 was built across the slide material buttressed with a series of embankments and compacted soil and using protective features including berms, rocks, netting, culverts and other stabilizing material.

The rebuilding effort included construction seven days a week, dawn to dusk for the past year and was completed two months ahead of our initial mid-September estimate.

The contractor for this $54 million emergency project was John Madonna Construction of San Luis Obispo, CA.

For traffic updates on all state highways in San Luis Obispo County, motorists may call Caltrans District 5 Public Affairs at 805-549-3318 or visit: http://www.dot.ca.gov/dist05/road_information.htm.

 

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Highway 1 at Mud Creek near Gorda looking south (7/2/18, photo courtesy of Caltrans)

Highway Closure Update, 6/4/18

Basically, nothing has changed. Mud Creek opening still anticipated for mid September, Paul’s Slide continues with one light, traffic signal controlled traffic. Here are this week’s photos:

Two photos of Mud Creek (PM 8.9) from Thursday, May 31 and one aerial of Paul’s Slide from yesterday, June 3—courtesy of John Madonna

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Highway Closure Update, 5/21/18

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Photos 1 and 2 of Mud Creek (PM 8.9) from Friday, May 18 and photo 3 of the repair at Hermitage (PM 22.42) last Monday, May 14 requiring Paul’s Slide area to be closed.

HIGHWAY 1 UPDATE – Monday, May 21

State Route 1 in Monterey County remains closed from north of Salmon Creek, just south of the Ranger Station (PM 3) to just south of Gorda (PM 10) due to the Mud Creek slide. State Route 1 south of Salmon Creek is accessible via State Route 1 in San Luis Obispo County near Ragged Point.

REMINDER: Travelers still CANNOT access the entire length of Highway 1 from Carmel to Cambria but local businesses are open on both sides of Mud Creek.

Mud Creek (PM 8.9)

Mud Creek had a major slide on Saturday, May 20, 2017, losing over 5 million cubic yards of material. Caltrans continues with its plan to realign the existing terrain. The Department has announced a new target of mid-September to get lanes re-opened to traffic. Caltrans will continuously evaluate the opening date as work progresses so we anticipate providing an update in July. It’s expected that even after the highway is re-open, intermittent lane closures and roadwork may continue. The updated current cost is at $54 million.

There is currently no public/local access through the Mud Creek area since this remains an active, emergency construction zone.

This week: Work continues with the north fill, north cut and north berm with hilfiker retaining wall.

Paul’s Slide (PM 21.6)*

Paul’s Slide is still active but the 24/7 traffic signal remains in place and temporary guardrail (k-rail) in the centerline. A full, daytime closure took place at Paul’s last Monday, May 14, 2018 to make repairs to the Hermitage Tieback Wall. (See attached photo).

ADDITIONAL WORK—CALPORTLAND PAVING BETWEEN LUCIA (PM 23) AND JUST SOUTH OF PCB (45.52)

Final items continue taking place. Metal Beam Guardrail (MBGR) end treatment work at Castro Canyon (PM 43.12) and slope work at the Coastlands (PM 44.41) continues taking place. However, no work is scheduled for this week north of Lucia.

The next update will be on Tuesday, May 29.

Highway One Closure Update, 5/14/18

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SPECIAL NOTE: The full, daytime closure at Paul’s today, May 14, 2018 from 7 AM to 5 PM and is required due to equipment blocking the lane to make repairs to the Hermitage Tieback Wall. Paul’s should reopen by 5 PM on the same day, today, Monday, May 14.

HIGHWAY 1 UPDATE – Monday, May 14

State Route 1 in Monterey County remains closed from north of Salmon Creek, just south of the Ranger Station (PM 3) to just south of Gorda (PM 10) due to the Mud Creek slide. State Route 1 south of Salmon Creek is accessible via State Route 1 in San Luis Obispo County near Ragged Point.

REMINDER: Travelers still CANNOT access the entire length of Highway 1 from Carmel to Cambria but local businesses are open on both sides of Mud Creek.

 Mud Creek (PM 8.9)

Mud Creek had a major slide on Saturday, May 20, 2017, losing over 5 million cubic yards of material. Caltrans continues with its plan to realign the existing terrain. The Department has announced a new target of mid-September to get lanes re-opened to traffic. Caltrans will continuously evaluate the opening date as work progresses so we anticipate providing an update in July. It’s expected that even after the highway is re-open, intermittent lane closures and roadwork may continue. The updated current cost is at $54 million.

There is currently no public/local access through the Mud Creek area since this remains an active, emergency construction zone.

This week: Work continues with constructing the north fill and continue the north cut.

Paul’s Slide (PM 21.6)*

Paul’s Slide is still active but the 24/7 traffic signal remains in place and temporary guardrail (k-rail) in the centerline. A full, daytime closure at Paul’s is taking place today, Monday, May 14, 2018 from 7 AM to 5 PM and is required due to equipment blocking the lane to make repairs to the Hermitage Tieback Wall. Paul’s should reopen by 5pm on the same day, today, Monday, May 14.

Mud Creek article

In the San Jose Mercury News is a very detailed and comprehensive report on the state of the slide and the current work on it, with a series of photos taken by Vern Fischer of the Herald.

You can view it here: https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/05/09/big-sur-nearly-a-year-after-massive-mud-creek-slide-project-intensifies/

Here are a couple of the photos showing current cracks:

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(Photo by Vern Fischer)

I have highlighted some new cracks. It is impossible to tell if this is of any significance from a photo, but it would appear the project manager is checking them out, and doesn’t seem to be worried about any imminent threat.

Here is the entrance from the north:

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(Photo by Vern Fischer) (Note, this appears to be an earlier shot as the containers are in this photo and they have since been removed)

And here is the arial view. The red line marks where the road will probably go (my guess), if it doesn’t already, but it could be dropped down to the lower bench, if needed, it looks like.

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