Tag: Bridge

Rock Shed & Bridge at Pitkins near Limekiln

Cal-Trans just issued the news release quoted below. Also, while I haven’t received a release on them, there are two other on-going projects I have witnessed. One is just south of Packard/3 Palms beach. It involves a one-way stop light. Another project is north of Ragged Point. Last I saw, it did not have a signal light, but news reports in SLO papers indicate one will be installed.

Date: Monday, November 30, 2009
District: 5 – Santa Barbara, SLO, Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Benito Counties
Contact: Janet Newland or Colin Jones
Phone: (805) 549-3461 or (805) 549-3189
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MAJOR BRIDGE AND ROCKSHED PROJECT BEGINS ON HIGHWAY 1 SOUTH OF LUCIA

MONTEREY COUNTY – Roadwork will begin this week on the Highway 1 Pitkin’s Curve Bridge and Rainrocks Rockshed. The project will install a 620-foot long bridge and protective cover on Highway 1 just south of the town of Lucia.

During the first stage of the project the roadway will be relocated closer to the hillside and one-way flagging operations may be in effect from 8 am to 4 pm Monday though Friday. By spring, a temporary traffic signal will be in place so one-way traffic control will be in effect 24/7.

The project will protect motorists and the highway from falling rock and slides. The contractor for this $29 million project is Golden State Bridge of Martinez, California. The project requires four years of construction time; however, it will go through several winter seasons so completion may be extended depending upon severity of the weather.

“We are thrilled to break ground on a project that will significantly enhance the long-term stability of the coast highway,” said District 5 Director Rich Krumholz.

Caltrans reminds motorists that “we’re here to get you there.”

For more information on you can call the toll-free project hotline at (888) 836-0866 or visit http://www.dot.ca.gov/dist05/projects/pitkins/index.htm.

# # #

State Park & Bridge Update, 4/18/09

Bidding for the installation of a temporary Bailey Bridge closed yesterday, 4/17. Part of the required bidding process was a guarantee that the installation would be completed within 30 days of the awarding of the contract.

Current speculation regarding how camping reservations will be handled for the summer traffic at the Big Sur State Park is that it will be on a first-come, first-serve basis, starting the day the bridge opens. The Bailey Bridge will be one lane, controlled by a signal light.

The closure of the State Park is putting a burden on the remaining campsites, which down here on the South Coast are filled *beyond* capacity. That, in turn, is leading to camping in undeveloped areas of the forest. As XT points out, the closure of much of USFS (and state) lands in Big Sur, due to the 2008 fires, has lead to additional stress on the unburned and highly vulnerable areas of the Los Padres National Forest. This is a lose-lose situation.