Date:	Monday, September 22, 2025
District:	05 – Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Cruz Counties
Contact:	Celeste Morales or Kevin Drabinski
Phone:	(805) 549-3237 or (805) 549-3138

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Updated Timeline for Completion of Highway 1 at Regent’s Slide

MONTEREY COUNTY – Caltrans announced today that Highway 1 at Regent’s Slide is expected to reopen to through traffic by the end of March 2026. The projected date is an estimate based on repair progress but could be influenced by additional slide activity that has posed significant safety concerns. Seasonal weather effects on site conditions may also impact the estimated reopening timeline. Caltrans will continue to provide regular updates.

“We are doing everything in our power to return this vital section of roadway to residents, businesses, and travelers who have demonstrated patience and understanding during the repair effort,” said Caltrans District 5 Director Scott Eades. “Our work is dedicated to them, and this Regent’s Slide reopening estimate allows people to plan ahead and prepare for when Highway 1 is fully reopen once again.” 

Regent’s Slide occurred on February 9, 2024, when a landslide that originated 450 feet above the roadway buried a segment of Highway 1 below. The combination of Regent’s Slide and a previously cleared slide six miles south has prevented through travel on the Big Sur coast since January 15, 2023. Under challenging site conditions highlighted by a geologically active landmass, crews have offset safety concerns with technological innovations in the field to keep the project on track. To date 300,000 cubic yards of material has been removed with 250,000 remaining until completion.

A Safety-First Approach

Crew member safety at Regent’s Slide has been a priority since the outset of the operation. Workers are removing large volumes of soil and rock with the goal of creating a stable surface that will allow for the highway to reopen.

Dormant and active landslides resulting from millions of years of geologic activity surround the repair site, posing potential threats to worker safety and stability of the steep slopes. Caltrans has maintained worker safety with consistent and vigilant monitoring methods, leveraging the latest equipment and technology to minimize risk and inform safety-first decision-making.

The department also utilizes geotechnical instruments, surface measurements and drone surveys to evaluate stability of the Regent’s Slide work area. 

Innovative Approaches

Caltrans has mitigated safety risks by deploying unmanned, remote-controlled equipment that has allowed bulldozers and excavators to resume progress without putting workers in harm’s way. 

In May 2025, crews stabilized the slide by installing dowels and steel bars deep into the ground. This strategy has prevented any further slide activity and allowed the project to continue. To date, more than 3,500 dowels have been placed. 

The Big Sur Coast Welcomes Your Visit

Travelers from Northern California can still access historic bridges, waterfalls, restaurants and lodging amenities along the Big Sur coast. Visitors from Southern California can reach the endearing communities of Lucia, Gorda, Ragged Point, San Simeon and Cambria via Highway 1.

Highway 1 on the Big Sur coast is a vital roadway for residents and the regional business community. With the exception of the 6.8-mile closure near Regent’s Slide, over 100 miles of the highway remain open between Cambria and Carmel.

For additional travel tips, two destination marketing organizations provide up-to-date information that will make visits to Big Sur more convenient and memorable. For details, please visit https://www.slocal.com/ and https://www.seemonterey.com/.

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. 

For information about transportation projects transforming communities throughout the state, visit: Build.ca.gov.

Our crews deserve to get home safely too.

Drive slowly and carefully in work zones.

CHP Traffic Incident Information Page: http://cad.chp.ca.gov

Traveler information at: https://quickmap.dot.ca.gov/

| #BeWorkZoneAlert | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube |

Kevin Drabinski

Public Information Officer

This looks like it could be fun. From Daniel Swain of Weather West:

On Tue, a slow-moving low will drift toward Central Coast. By this point, it will have entrained copious tropical moisture on its eastern flank. The airmass will be convectively quite unstable by CA standards, & mid-level ascent will provide trigger for t-storm development.

This time of year I let the dogs out at 7 am — mountain lions usually hunt between dusk and dawn, so I want dawn to be over before I let them out. This morning at exactly 7 am, Lady came and put her chin on the foot of my bed. Who says dogs can’t tell time?

Last night’s wasn’t much, but it was some. Today looks like we might get a bit more.

BTW, I emailed Caltrans yesterday to remind them it was the middle of the month and when would the new timeline for opening be released. Their reply was soon, we hope.

News Release

Date:	Monday, September 15, 2025
District:	05 – Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Cruz Counties
Contact:	Celeste Morales or Kevin Drabinski
Phone:	(805) 549-3237

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FULL OVERNIGHT CLOSURE OF HIGHWAY 1 AT

ROCKY CREEK BRIDGE FOR EMERGENCY SEAWALL REPAIRS

SUNDAY, September 21 | 10:00 PM

MONTEREY COUNTY — Caltrans will implement a full overnight closure of Highway 1 at Rocky Creek, located approximately 12 miles south of Carmel, on Sunday, September 21, to accommodate emergency repairs to a seawall beneath the highway.

Closure Details:

The full closure will begin Sunday, September 21 at 10:00 pm, with the highway scheduled to reopen by Monday, September 22 at 6:00 am.

This work is part of an ongoing emergency project aimed at reinforcing the seawall that protects the south end of the Rocky Creek Bridge and the slope beneath the recently constructed viaduct. The repairs will enhance the seawall’s resilience against wave action and prevent further erosion, ensuring the long-term stability of this vital coastal route.

During the closure, crews will use a crane that spans both lanes, meaning no through traffic will be allowed during the work window. Travelers are advised to plan accordingly.

As Caltrans continues the emergency project in the coming months, additional lane and road closures will also be expected along Highway 1 in the Rocky Creek area. These closures are necessary to ensure that the work is completed safely and effectively. Advance notice will be provided to the public prior to each closure.

Caltrans appreciates the patience of the traveling public and local community as crews work to maintain the integrity of Highway 1.

Big Sur Remains Accessible and Open:

Travelers are reminded that over 100 miles of Highway 1 on the Big Sur coast remain open and accessible. Travelers from northern California will find easy access to historic bridges, waterfalls, restaurants, and lodging amenities.

Travelers from southern California will find that the highway brings them directly within reach of the unparalleled views, lodging amenities, and natural wonders of Lucia, the Camaldoli Hermitage, Gorda, Ragged Point, San Simeon, and Cambria.

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.

Our crews deserve to get home safely too.

Drive slowly and carefully in work zones.

CHP Traffic Incident Information Page: http://cad.chp.ca.gov

Traveler information at: https://quickmap.dot.ca.gov/

This is my favorite tree. It is a Quercus lobata (valley oak). According to the Oak Foundation, these don’t grow above 2K feet in elevation. This one is at 3200’. I did not plant it. It planted itself…right there. When the USFS et al were fighting the Wildfire of 1996, they decided to use my property as the last line of defense…with a dozer line a hundred feet wide, and fire retardant on the line. The fire did not reach this far, thankfully, but the ground was laid bare and Mother Nature told the native trees and shrubs to repopulate this bare earth and they did. This oak planted itself. I found it the next year a few inches tall, and so I took care of it that first year. Once it was clearly established, I left it alone…other than to talk to it and encourage its choice of home. I have many other Quercus lobatas, and Q agrifolias (coast live oak) and Q chrysolepis (canyon live oak). This oak has reached probably 40-50’. Next year, she will be 30 years old. I think I will get a plaque with her birth year on it for her birthday.