That Rock Shed is absolutely gorgeous! Nice job, everyone.
Charlie Hench, Resident Engineer for Cal-Trans sent these photos, taken, Tuesday Jan. 7th by Wayne Walker, Charlie’s structural representative.
Tag: Pitkins Curve
*IMPORTANT NOTICE OF OVERNIGHT CLOSURES AT PITKINS CURVE/RAIN ROCKS
Today’s Date: Thursday, November 21, 2013
District: 05 – Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Monterey, San Benito and Santa
Cruz Counties
Contact: Susana Z Cruz (bilingual) or Jim Shivers
Phone: (805) 549-3138 or 549-3189
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
HIGHWAY 1/PITKINS CURVE BRIDGE AND ROCKSHED PROJECT—THREE OVERNIGHT CLOSURES STARTING SUNDAY, NOV. 24
MONTEREY COUNTY — The Highway 1 Bridge and Rockshed at Pitkin’s Curve (post-mile 21.5) will be closing for three nights, starting Sunday, Nov. 24, Caltrans officials announced today.
Overnight work hours/closures will be from 10 pm to 6 am Sunday night Nov. 24, Monday, Nov. 25, and Tuesday, Nov. 26 (opening on Wednesday, Nov. 27 at 6 am)
A full closure is needed to allow for the installation of the bridge joint seal assemblies. Only emergency vehicles will be allowed through. Flaggers will be present at each end of the project enforcing the closure. Detour consists of using Hwy. 46/Hwy. 101/Hwy. 68.
The ¼ – mile project limits extends from just north of Limekiln Creek Bridge to south of Lucia. The project includes a rockshed, a bridge, and a retaining wall.
“We are excited to see this project approaching completion,” said Caltrans District 5 Director Tim Gubbins. The entire project is scheduled to be completed in January, weather permitting.
Pitkins/Rain Rocks, early photos
Those were taken in 2011, I think, when the project first started. The next one was taken about 10 years ago, just south of the current rock shed. This should be fun!
So, I’ll be interested in seeing what a good El Niño year does. Not this year, as it is “El Niño neutral” at least thru next spring according to NOAA.
Pitkins Curve/Rockshed Project
HIGHWAY 1/PITKINS CURVE BRIDGE AND ROCKSHED PROJECT—NEARING COMPLETION
MONTEREY COUNTY — Highway 1 Bridge and Rockshed at Pitkins Curve (post-mile 21.5) is nearing completion, Caltrans officials announced today.
The ¼ – mile project limits extends from just north of Limekiln Creek Bridge to south of Lucia. The project includes a rockshed, a bridge, and a retaining wall.
Some of the most significant benefits of this project include:
The project will severely reduce motorists’ encounters with a falling rock and/or a land slide.
The project should greatly reduce any period of closure of the highway at this location due to a major slide.
The cost of maintaining this stretch of highway will be greatly reduced as a result of this project.
The ride will be much more pleasant than it was before (smoother ride, unique structures, more impressive view).
“We are excited to see this project approaching completion,” said District 5 Director Tim Gubbins. The entire project is scheduled to be completed in January, weather permitting.
The contractor for this $29.5 million project is Golden State Bridge Inc. of Martinez, CA.
Pitkin’s Bridge & Rain Rocks Shed
Here is a photo of the entire project by CalTrans resident Engineer, Charlie Hench
Fascinating to one who has lived with this crazy combo of slides for 24 years. The slide at Pitkin’s Curve is dirt, and will go UNDER the bridge. The one at Rain Rocks is … Well, rocks. It will go on top and over the shed.
Pitkin’s Bridge
Photo by Andrew Borrelli, CalTrans inspector.
Yesterday, Rock Knocker was able to drive across the bridge and called me very excited. He won’t get his photos to me until Saturday, at which time I will post them, if possible.
Today, CalTrans released this:
“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/PITKINS CURVE BRIDGE AND ROCKSHED PROJECT CONTINUES
MONTEREY COUNTY—A permanent slide repair project which began in December 2009 to construct a bridge, rockshed and a retaining wall at Hwy. 1/Pitkins Curve will now allow one lane of traffic to drive on the new bridge as of yesterday, March 19, Caltrans officials have announced.
The ¼ mile project limits are from just north of Limekiln Creek Bridge to south of Lucia. Roadwork is currently being done with one-way traffic control and a signal in operation 24/7. The project includes a rockshed, a bridge, and a retaining wall.
“We are excited to provide limited traffic on the new bridge as project completion nears,” said District 5 Director Tim Gubbins. The entire project is scheduled to be done this fall.”
My sources say a ribbon-cutting ceremony is planned for early August.
Working to save Highway from itself, and Mother Nature
Following is a photojournal of my trip north Wednesday. Three construction areas, we had to traverse. This is why we don’t go north much right now.
Look at the colors in those arches. Aren’t they gorgeous!.
AND, construction number two – Partington.
It is not just the stopping for 10 minutes, or more, EACH, it is getting in a line of cars from which one cannot escape!
Finally, Rocky Creek.
Rain Rocks Rock Shed
I have a series of photos taken over the past two weeks that shows the project. I thought my readers would be interested to see what has been going on.
This one was taken just before last week’s overnight closure. One can see the Rebar topping the shed in preparation for adding the roof.
Monday, July 9, 2012, I had the “pleasure” of driving between the rock shed and the mountain. That was an experience! This photo and the next two will give you a feel for that. I had to take these photos AS I WAS DRIVING with my iPhone, so excuse the quality. You get the idea.
Then, yesterday, Monday, July 16, 2012, I got to drive under the new shed. These photos depict that experience. Again, I was multi-tasking – taking photos while driving. This time with my Nikon.
And there you have it! You have now “driven” thru what is sure to become a world-famous rock shed via the miracle of cyberspace! Quite a feat. It is scheduled to be completed by Spring of 2013.
Overnight road closures
(See attached file: Cambria to Carmel
Update–4OvernightClosures4RoofPanels7.3.12.doc)
Today’s Date: Tuesday, July 3, 2012
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 ROADWAY UPDATE
OVERNIGHT CLOSURES AT BRIDGE AND ROCK SHED-FOUR NIGHTS STARTING MONDAY
MONTEREY COUNTY: Bridge and rock shed work continues on Highway 1 at
Pitkins/Rain Rocks (PM 21.3), 1.8 miles south of Lucia and 25 miles south
of Big Sur as part of the bridge and rock shed project, Caltrans officials
have announced.
Four overnight full Hwy. 1 closures of the bridge and rock shed are
necessary for the roof panels to be placed overhead on the rock shed
starting Monday, July 9 through Thursday, July 12 from 9 pm to 6 am
(finishing on Friday morning, July 13).
Electronic message signs will be posted at each end of the closure and at
three other locations alerting motorists of the closure ahead. Emergency
vehicles will be allowed through, although it may involve up to 30-minute
delays.
All roadwork on the $30 million project is expected to be completed by
Spring of 2013.
A permanent viaduct repair project is being implemented for Rocky Creek. It
is an $11 million project to begin after Labor Day. More details to follow.
Caltrans reminds motorists to move over and slow down when driving through
highway construction zones.
For more information on Monterey County projects, 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.
Susana Z. Cruz
Public Information Officer /
Portavoz de Relaciones Públicas
(805) 549-3138
(805) 549-3326–Fax
There is a small city at Pitkin’s Curve
All the following photographs were taken by Rock Knocker on May 11, 2010. He promised me he would go every month or so, with his hard hat and vest, and take more so we can all follow this amazing engineering feat, which started construction November 30, 2009, and is predicted to take four years.
Few of us could ever hope to get shots like this, and even fewer would ever get permission to do so. Thanks, Rock Knocker!
And it looks like this:
It even has its own Motel 6:
Not that I’d want to stay there, even with the view!
Here is the new city from a longer perspective:
My internet has gone wonkers on me this evening, and I have quite a few more photographs to post. I will have to add them tomorrow, as I have reached my patience limit tonight.
The two work platforms (and no, it is not the start of the bridge construction, that will be a while coming) are depicted here:
Here is the south work platform:
Here is the north work platform. Note the people for perspective. That is a 150 TON crane sitting on the platform!
This post is a “work in progress.” I will be uploading more photos as the internet goddess allows.
This “box” is 50 feet by 50 feet. Inside you see a remotely operated excavator. It has the drill on, and the plan is to drill a number of 5 ft. square holes, to an unknown depth, which will then provide support columns to anchor the south end of the bridge. This 50×50 foot box will then be filed completely with 5 ft. of cement.
This is the head honcho on this project. Rock Knocker told me his name … but I failed to write it down.
Tomorrow, I will post some Cal-Trans photos of the slip out in 2000 which lead to this project. I am also searching for the rendering of the project, which I have seen, and participated in (along with the rock shed at Rain Rocks) as part of the Aesthetic and Design Committee.