A collection of all the posts re: this closure, as it could become quite lengthy.
I asked the project manager “Local wants to know if that [walking across closure at night] will be allowed. She has classes 2 nites a week.
bigsurkate, on a mountain top in Big Sur
He answered “Hi Kate. Unfortunately for safety reasons we can’t allow the general
public to walk through during the night closures. We tried to think of
ways to allow it, but construction activities would be going on much too
close to the path they would be using.
Thanks,
Ken”
This came yesterday, but I had already provided the basic info through advance notice and had some other things I wanted to post about. These notices of closures and the impact on community and visitors will hopefully develop a rhythm of their own, and I will only be posting about this once a week, but until that rhythm gets established, I’ll just go with it here.
“Today’s Date: Thursday, September 27, 2012
District: 05 – Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Monterey, San Benito
and Santa
Cruz Counties
Contact: Susana Z Cruz (bilingual) or Colin Jones
Phone: (805) 549-3138 or 549-3189
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
HIGHWAY 1/ROCKY CREEK VIADUCT PROJECT IS UNDERWAY—
OVERNIGHT CLOSURES TO BEGIN OCTOBER 11
MONTEREY COUNTY – Following the survey results from the Big Sur community,
the hours for full closures of Hwy. 1 at Rocky Creek will be 9 pm to 7 am
beginning Thursday, Oct. 11 through the end of February, Caltrans officials
have announced.
Roadwork will occur seven days a week, 24/7 with one-way signalized traffic
control. Traffic will be stopped for 10 minutes at a time. However, full
overnight closures will take place five nights a week Sundays through
Thursdays.
The project to construct a permanent viaduct about 15 miles south of Carmel
near the Rocky Creek Bridge along Highway 1 began on Sept. 4. Completion is
scheduled by Labor Day 2013, weather permitting.
This project came about after a roadway slipout caused severe damage to the
southbound lane and required Hwy. 1 to be closed from north of Big Sur and
south of Carmel at Rocky Creek from March 17 through April 16, 2011. The
contractor for this $12 million project is Golden State Bridge Inc. of
Martinez, CA
In order to minimize traffic impact as part of the project, there will be
advance notification for motorists, residents and businesses via a traffic
hotline, electronic message signs and email notifications.
Caltrans reminds motorists to move over and slow down when driving
through highway work zones.
For more information, please visit: http://www.dot.ca.gov/dist05/projects/
or contact the Hwy. 1 Cambria to Carmel Toll-Free Hotline at 888-836-0866.”
Update, less than an hour later, Collin Jones sent out this:
“Hey folks, our news release is going out later today. The temporary signal
is up and the updated schedule now calls for overnight closures to begin on
Thursday, Oct. 11 @ 9 pm.
Thanks, Colin”
“Heads up everyone:
The permanent viaduct repair of Highway 1 at Rocky Creek 15 miles south of
Carmel is underway, with the overnight closures from 9 pm to 7 am set to
begin on Oct. 7 or 8 and continuing for 3-4 months. Susana Cruz, Jim
Shivers and I in the Public Information Office will be sending out frequent
traffic notices, updating our Big Sur traffic hotline (888-836-0866) and
our crews will be deploying numerous message signs on both ends of Big Sur.
We’ll be sending out more details in a news release by Monday, Oct. 1.
As always, Caltrans greatly appreciates the community’s support and
cooperation. This project is important in maintaining the long-term
stability of the vital Highway 1 corridor from Cambria to Carmel. Working
together, we can make this another successful transportation project along
the Big Sur Coast.
Let us know if you have any questions or concerns.
Thanks, Colin Jones
Public Affairs Manager
Caltrans District 5
(805) 549-3189”
First let me notify everyone that the 21st Jade Festival is almost here. It will be held, as always, at Pacific Valley School. It will be held Friday, Oct.5 from noon to 6, Saturday, 10-6, and Sunday 10-5. This year, it will be important to close down on time on Sunday so that vendors can pack up and get through Rocky Creek before they close the road. Other than that, the closure should not affect the festival. As has become standard, we have lots of music, good food, jade, and other gems, good family fun. As it is held at the school, and is a family event, no alcohol or drugs allowed and all furry family members must be on a leash.
Second, I am getting lots of inquiries regarding the Rock Creek closures. I will post all announcements of closures right here on my front page as soon as i get them. I have posted six different times so far, so I will give a simplified or Readers Digest version here. Basically, if you plan on night closures every Sunday-Thursday night from Oct 8th thru the end of January, you won’t be surprised and caught off guard. (we will know the exact 10 hour closure time next week, but so far, it is looking like 9 pm-7am?) During the day, the road will be one lane, controlled traffic. While delays are supposed to be only 10 minutes, I got reports of 1/2 hour delays today. Give yourself extra time to make it to work, or your lunch reservation, or whatever brings you down our way. Get to know the visitor in the car behind you or in front, take photos of the stoppage, enjoy your time here.
Other stories? Okay, I admit. I made that up. Let me see if I can find a photo for you.
The first over night closure is set for the week of Oct. 8th. The exact date and time have not yet been decided, so make plans as you can.
From Project Manager, Ken Dostalek:
“I’m truly sorry that I didn’t adequately cover that subject at the meeting
on the 30th, but I did try. I want you to know that. At the meeting I
said that there will be 10 occasions that the highway will need to be
closed and each occasion will last 1 – 3 consecutive days. This is to
construct the 10 (actually it’s 9) bridge columns and abutments. I also
mentioned that there will be additional closures needed for girder
placement by crane, but I did not have a good estimate at the time for the
number of days required.
Since that meeting, the only change I have experienced is that we now
estimate each closure for the 9 columns and abutments will last 2 – 5 days
each. I told Kirk as soon as I knew and mentioned it again at last
Friday’s meeting but I’m sorry I didn’t send out a mass email like I should
have.
Our information changes over time because it becomes more refined as we get
closer to the actual closures. That’s something we can’t help. ;It starts
out as speculation initially because it takes the Contractor several weeks
to produce an accurate construction schedule and Caltrans is not allowed to
dictate to the Contractor how to build the viaduct as long as they adhere
to the general guidelines given in the contract specifications.
I’ll keep sending out new information as I get it. I would like to make a
weekly trip up there to take photos and get project updates and then send
that info to you for posting. I’m thinking I’ll go up each Friday and get
the schedule for the next week. Still in the planning stage though.”
Second clarification and special events
“I recalled that about a month ago citizen Jenny Morris asked on your blog
about the possibility of the closures interfering with her planned arrival
late on October 31 for the Big Sur Food and Wine Festival the next day. At
the time we thought the closures would not occur until January 2013 and I
responded as such. However we now realize that the closures will start
much sooner and that they will possibly conflict with the Food and Wine
Festival. I’d like to get the word out that we are evaluating this and the
other special events and that people should check back regularly for
updates. Please see below …
Other special events that have been brought to my attention are:
Halloween Bal Masque at Nepenthe on October 31,
Election night November 6 in which the Sheriff needs to pass through the
job site in order to deliver the completed ballots.
Concerts at the Henry Miller Library on Oct. 2 and 3.
Special events that are already listed in the contract specifications as
non-closure days are:
The California Aids Ride passing through Big Sure sometime between June
2 and 8, 2013.
Amgen Tour of California passing through Big Sur sometime between May 12
and 19, 2013
Also any special event that takes place on a Friday or Saturday night will
not be affected by the closures since they are not allowed on those days.”
Based on the above, it looks like the road will be closed more than open on Sunday-Thursday evenings, October 1st through the end of January – all subject to change depending on weather, material being drilled, and other unpredicted events.
What Kathleen Lee’s message below does not make clear is that these closures are intermittent, not every Sunday-Thursday, but approximately 10 of them through the winter, and another round with fewer closures, scheduled for Spring. All closures will be preceded with adequate notice to all.
“The work to build the Rocky Creek Viaduct has started. Hard closures of the highway, where no vehicle traffic through the construction site will be allowed, will begin at the start of October. In order to place the equipment and do the drilling work, the contractor will be allowed to close the highway for 10 hour blocks during the evening hours, Sunday through Thursday nights. These hard closures are anticipated to take place October through the end of January.
Caltrans has designed the project to have the smallest possible impact on the highway, and is working diligently with the contractor to ensure that these hard closures and the intermittent daylight closures occur during times when the work will have the least impact on the residents, businesses and travelling public.
Currently, the hard closures are scheduled from 8:00 pm to 6:00 am, Sunday through Thursday nights. After hearing from the community various concerns about these scheduled times, Caltrans would like your input as to the best hours for the hard closures.
Please respond to this survey as to what your preferred hours of closure are. Based upon all results, a decision on the hours of closure will be announced soon. For those hours that are later in the morning, these will only be an option if Caltrans and Carmel Unified School District can make arrangements so that the students can get to school on time.
Share this survey with your neighbors, employees and people who regularly travel the coast so that we have the broadest possible outreach into the Big Sur community for this important decision. Due to the short timing, please respond by 5:00 pm on Tuesday, September 18th. Please only respond once. Thank you for your help.
Link to Survey: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/BY9JGDG
Kathleen Lee
Chief of Staff for
Supervisor Dave Potter
(831) 647-7755″
By now, we are all familiar with the delays and closures that have been going on at Pitkin’s Curve and Rain Rocks south of Lucia for the last year – we still have about six months left to go here. The same thing is about to happen at Rocky Creek for the next year. A meeting is scheduled for 10 am this morning at the Big Sur Lodge to address issues and concerns about this construction, delays, and night closures. Steve Price will be leading the discussion. Maybe finishing this project in a year is too ambitious if it requires so many 10-hour night closures.
Also, for those who regularly travel to Cambria and other southern ports, be aware that Monday, 9/17, starting at 7:00 am, there will be delays of up to 1/2 hour between the county line just north of Ragged Point, to Hearst Castle, while Cal-Trans chip seals the road.
Finally, at the Alder Creek slide, starting on Monday, 9/24, there will be delays for about a month while Cal-Trans installs more rock slide netting at this location.
What can we expect when this road continues to march to the sea? Make sure and use the facilities at every opportunity, bring reading material, plan your trips accordingly, and make sure to bring an extra stash of patience and humor! A town run north or south now, rivals what used to be a trip to The City (SF) in the past, at least for length of time on the road!
Hi Everyone.
Please join us at the Big Sur Lodge at 10:00 AM this Friday to discuss traffic management on the Rocky Creek Viaduct project. The main speaker for Caltrans will be the District 5 Chief of Maintenance and Operations, Steve Price,
Possible topics for discussion, listed below, are based on questions I’ve been receiving from the Big Sur community over the last few days.
Why does the highway need to be closed?
Can the start time of the closure be moved to later in the evening?
Can the highway be opened up for a limited amount of time during the night to allow passage?
Did Caltrans notify the community of the need for these closures?
Other questions.
I’m looking forward to meeting you all. There will be hot coffee and tea waiting for you when you arrive.
Thank you,
Ken Dostalek
Caltrans District 5
Project Management
(805) 549-3133
Hello Big Sur Folks,
Please join me at the Big Sur Station Multi-Agency Facility conference room at 10:00 AM Thursday August 30 to review traffic management issues during construction and discuss any questions, concerns, or recommendations you might have. Joining me to help answer your questions will be Tyler Lavering, the Resident Engineer assigned to the project, and Colin Jones, the District 5 Public Information Officer. I hope we can be of service to you.
Sincerely,
Ken Dostalek
Caltrans District 5 (San Luis Obispo)
Project Management Division
Email: ken_dostalek@dot.ca.gov
Office Phone: (805) 549-3133
Meeting Agenda
Welcome and Introductions
Provide Up-to-date Construction Schedule
Review Traffic Management Plan and Lane Closure Charts
Discuss Impacts to:
Emergency Services
Businesses
School Buses
Travellers
Community
Discuss possible ways to minimize impacts
Follow up meeting with the BSMAAC in October
