Category: Road Conditions

Don’t make me thread the needle.

You are right, Big Surians. The fu**ers are trying to kill us … And themselves. I have been reading all the horror stories about the traffic and tourists and crazies, so I kept putting off running down to Cambria. Finally wanted fresh veggies, so I went today. Oh, joy …

On the way home, I went to pass the car in front of me, car #1. Legal passing area. Plenty of room and time to get between him and the car in front of him, car #2, before the SB car, car #3, came to us. Well, there would have been, had car #2 not panicked, or decided he did not want me behind him, or whatever the hell his pea brain was thinking. I got along side car #1 when I watched car#2 slam on his brakes and watched the space between the two cars rapidly dwindle. I had no choice but to “thread the needle” that is squeeze between car # 2 heading north and car #3 heading south, as the car behind me had now moved up closer to car #1. I hope someone recorded that … I certainly didn’t have time to.

Yes, they wanted to kill me and themselves … But … Not today.

Traffic Conditions, heading north to town

6:30 pm – as of 15 minutes ago, The CHP website is reporting that NB traffic into Carmel is backed up all the way to Mal Paso Creek, which is the southern boundary for the Carmel Highlands. I have been hearing stories about how bad traffic has been this holiday season, particularly in that direction. Avoid if you can wait.

Road Work Christmas Weekend

Today’s Date: Wednesday, December 24, 2014
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
*Update*
DRAINAGE CULVERT REPAIR ON HIGHWAY 1 AT VENTANA/POST RANCH IS UNDERWAY

MONTEREY COUNTY– An emergency culvert repair project on Highway 1 at Ventana/Post Ranch, two miles south of the Big Sur Park/Campgrounds began on Monday, Dec. 22 and continues this weekend, Caltrans officials have announced.

Roadwork hours are from 7 am to 5 pm weekdays under one-way traffic control with flaggers. In order to expedite the repairs, crews will also be working this Saturday and Sunday from 7 am until 4 pm (no roadwork on Christmas Day). Motorists can expect a delay not to exceed 15 minutes. Electronic message signs have been activated to alert motorists.

The purpose of this emergency project is to repair the damaged culvert and embankment erosion from the recent storms. Roadwork is necessary to ensure that all maintenance needs of the coast highway are met, and will be completed by Wednesday, Dec. 31, weather permitting.

NOTE: Access to businesses will remain open via Highway 1.

The contractor for this $300,000 project is John Madonna Construction of San Luis Obispo.

Photo to follow when Cellular Internet will let me upload.

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Road work from Co line to Gorda this weekend

Today’s Date: Friday, December 19, 2014

MONTEREY COUNTY– A maintenance project to remove slide material and perform drainage work will take place on a 10-mile section of Highway 1 between the Monterey/San Luis Obispo County line and Gorda tomorrow, Saturday, Dec. 20 and Sunday, Dec. 21, Caltrans officials have announced.

Work hours are from 7 am to 3 pm both days under one-way traffic control with flaggers. Motorists can expect a delay not to exceed 15 minutes. Electronic Message Boards will be activated to alert motorists.

The purpose of this two-day emergency project is to clean up after the recent batch of storms and will be performed by the Willow Springs and Templeton North maintenance crews. This emergency roadwork is necessary to ensure all of the maintenance needs of the coast highway area are met. Work will be completed on Sunday afternoon, Dec. 21, weather permitting.

NOTE: Access to businesses will remain open via Hwy. 1 between Ragged Point and Big Sur.

Highway One Closure Overnight

Today’s Date: Friday, December 12, 2014 @ 6:30 pm
District: 5 – Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Monterey, Santa Cruz and San
Benito Counties
Contact: Susana Z Cruz (Bilingual) or Colin Jones
Phone: (805) 549-3138 or (805) 549-3189
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

HIGHWAY 1 CARMEL TO CAMBRIA UPDATE #2 —
FULL CLOSURE FROM RAGGED POINT TO GORDA

MONTEREY COUNTY — A 10-mile section of Highway 1 will remain closed overnight through Saturday morning, Dec. 13 in both directions from north of Ragged Point at the San Luis Obispo/Monterey County line to Gorda (Mile Marker 10) in Monterey County, 35 miles south of Big Sur due to rock and mudslide activity.

Caltrans will evaluate conditions of the roadway which is still an active/unstable slide area with intermittent wet weather continuing and will provide roadway updates as the situation develops. Any overnight travel along the coast highway is NOT advised unless absolutely necessary.

All businesses on either side of the closure in Big Sur/Ragged Point are open and accessible via Highways 1, 46, 68 and/or 101.

Caltrans reminds motorists to move over and slow down when driving through highway construction zones.

For more information regarding projects on the Central Coast, you may call the toll-free hotline at (888) 836-0866 or visit http://www.dot.ca.gov/dist05/projects/. The public may also call the statewide CHIN at (800) 427-7623 for updates on current traffic conditions.

###

Jim Shivers
Caltrans District 5
Public Information Officer
(805) 549-3237
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PERSONAL OBSERVATIONS AND THOUGHTS BY BIGSURKATE:

On Wednesday, the road was closed overnight due to a slide in the Alder Creek Area. This area is notoriously unstable. The photos Cal Trans sent out, while not identified, look to be this area. Many of you will remember a slide at Alder Creek that I covered in my blog that closed the highway at that location for a month in May of 2011. There is a search box to the right, just above categories, where one can enter Alder Creek and see the reports and some amazing photos of that slide. There was another one in March of 2010. Again, one can find it with the search function on my blog.

Given that rain is expected throughout the month, the next one Sunday night into mid-week, I don’t think we have heard the last of slides in this area. Might even be new slides added.

Please, do not drive this portion of Highway One at night. There is a reason Cal Trans doesn’t work at night. It is dangerous. The two vehicles stuck in the slide at Big Creek last night, and the one that got away severely damaged, are a testament to the danger of doing so.

Slide Photos

Here is one from Cal Trans. Look on the far right, center, and one can see a bit of the double yellow line.

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Storm Update & Road Closure

3 pm – per Cal-Trans Highway One will be closed from Gorda south to Ragged Point from 5 pm tonight until tomorrow morning.

Noon Update from Cal Trans:

We are working hard towards re-opening the highway. At this time we are in the process of slide clean up and removal throughout the entire area. As it stands right now the highway is accessible to emergency vehicles only and we are hoping to re-open later this afternoon.

Current closure is from Esalen on the north and Ragged point on the south.

Greg DeAlba Jr.
Supervisor
Willow Springs Maintenance
(805) 459-7461 Cell
(805) 927-4243 Office
(805) 927-3493 Fax
EMERGENCY Satellite 888-254-5775

SIG ALERT — Highway 1 is closed from Ragged Point in north coastal San Luis Obispo County (Mile Marker 72) to the Coast Gallery in Monterey County (Mile Marker 42) due to multiple rock/mud slides. Crews are on site assessing damage and initiating cleanup. Alternate routes into Big Sur and Ragged Point are Highways 68, 101 and 46.

There is no estimated time of opening.

Stay tuned for updates as conditions develop.

7:30 am – This is the slide I wrote about last night at Big Creek and of which I have a few pictures. One is down below, and those of the damaged car that escaped is coming. Note the road is closed at least until mid day. Two vehicles got stuck in the slide and a third made it to Lucia with major damage, including a missing drivers side window with rocks coming into the back seat. Pics not loading. I’ll add later.

Detail Information
7:25 AM 10 [16] VEHS AT BIG CREEK
7:23 AM 9 [15] [Notification] [CHP]-CTRANS INQ IF ANYONE 28 SR1/BIG CREEK 2 VEH’S 1124 STUCK IN SLIDES, CTRANS NEEDS VEH’S REMOVED SO THEY CAN CLEAR RDWY / BLK TOYT AND GRY FORD ESCAPE BOTH 1124
5:47 AM 8 [14] PER CTRANS – WILL BE CLOSED AT MIN THRU MID DAY
10:04 PM 7 [13] 1039 ENTAC
10:01 PM 6 [12] [Notification] [CHP]-CALTRANS RECALLED WITH UPDATED INFO – SR1 CLOSED BTWN MM 10.1 TO MM 42
9:37 PM 5 [5] AT BIXBY BRIDGE MM 28.09 TO FALLERS PT MM 42.15
9:36 PM 4 [4] PER CALTRANS PUBLIC AFFAIRS – RDWY CLOSED ON SR1
9:30 PM 3 [3] SIG ALERT SENT
9:29 PM 2 [2] SB 1 IS NOW CLOSED AT MPM 48
9:29 PM 1 [1] NB 1 IS NOW CLOSED AT MPM 10
Unit Information
9:29 PM 2 Unit Assigned
9:29 PM 1 Unit At Scene

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All photos by Brendon Shave.

Mud/Rock Slide at Limekiln

2:30 pm – It apparently has been cleared as it is no longer listed on the CHP site.

Noon – The northbound lane is completely blocked, the south bound lane is partially blocked. Cal Trans is on the scene, working to get it cleared. MM 20.7, Limekiln State Park, not Rain Rocks. Just south of the entrance is an area that has given us fits over the years.

Highway One closed

Hi Kate, Just wanted to give you a heads up that we are going to be closing the road right now (Friday night 8pm) at the Willow Springs maintenance station and at Ragged point due to multiple slides between here and there.

Greg DeAlba Jr.
Supervisor,
Willow Springs Maintenance Yard

I am sure Greg and crew will be working on clearing these slides at first light and will have the road open as fast as possible. There were several times earlier this evening where it was raining 3″ an hour for a while.

Alder Creek Rock Slide Wednesday Night

Cleared by 7:00 am by Greg DeAlba and crew, Willow Springs Staion.

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