BIG SUR — Just in time for summer travel, Caltrans will spend nearly $27 million to repair a bit of Highway 1 in Big Sur after a part of the road collapsed and fell into the ocean last month, agency officials said.
Caltrans expects initial repair work to stabilize the sting of the scenic and precarious highway band south of the Rocky Creek Bridge might be accomplished by Memorial Day, May 27.
“We know how important Highway 1 is to the regional economy, especially in the summer, so we are working to reopen the road as quickly and safely as possible while making it more resilient to future extreme weather events,” he told Caltrans- Director Tony Tavares in a press release.
Traffic has been reduced to 1 lane because the collapse over Easter weekend. Entry into Big Sur is now only permitted for residents with valid identification and emergency personnel, and convoys operate twice each day on one lane of the highway, allowing locals to go away and return to Big Sur. One-way traffic will remain in place until roadwork is accomplished and the work passes safety inspections. This hinders access to a few of Big Sur's hottest locations.”]
But it looks like individuals are already clamoring to get to Big Sur, with an estimated 50 to 60 cars carrying tourists being turned around every day, officials said.
Once the sting of the roadway is stabilized, crews will install a brief signal and open Highway 1 to unrestricted traffic by alternating one-way control.
“It will be a major milestone when the temporary signals are placed,” said Caltrans District 5 spokesman Kevin Drabinski.
Big Sur — a 90-mile stretch of coastline between Carmel within the north and San Simeon within the south — is a tourist hotspot year-round, but especially between April and October. With not less than 300 days of sunshine a 12 months, dramatic cliffs, towering redwoods and breathtaking ocean views, an estimated 4.5 to 7 million people visit the coastal communities every year, pumping lots of of hundreds of thousands of dollars into the local economy, based on tourism officials.
But when the rain-soaked Highway 1 fails, the economy takes successful.
Kirk Gafill, president of the Big Sur Chamber of Commerce, estimates that hotels, art galleries, restaurants, parks and stores are collectively losing lots of of 1000’s of dollars per day on account of the recent road closure.
Gafill and other community leaders hope the repair work goes as planned and the community gets back on its feet quickly.
“The Big Sur community looks forward to returning to normal access from the north during the summer months, which is a critical time for our hospitality businesses, while work continues on the southern end of Big to repair road damage from rock falls Sur,” said Ryne Leuzinger, board president of the Community Association of Big Sur, a company focused on the health, safety and welfare of residents and visitors.
While Big Sur, with just 2,000 residents, relies on tourist dollars year-round to remain afloat, tourism became pretty overwhelming five years ago.
As images and reports of tourists misbehaving increased within the coastal town, an anonymous resident began an Instagram account called BigSurHatesYou. The goal was to stop hordes of tourists from trampling wildflowers, stealing shells from beaches, camping illegally and disrupting traffic on Highway 1 while taking selfies.
To make this clear, the Community Association of Big Sur created the “Big Sur Pledge,” which inspires visitors to obey traffic laws, respect natural resources, camp only where permitted, fire secure to be and leave no trace.
It appeared to have worked.
“The Big Sur Pledge has been successful in that it has been signed by thousands of people, bringing more attention to thoughtful, low-impact ways to enjoy Big Sur as recommended by residents here,” Leuzinger said.
Caltrans repairs underway
Since the roadway failed on March 30, Caltrans has widened and improved drainage on the northern shoulder, installed concrete barriers along the centerline to make sure the security of employees and convoys, and installed rock anchors adjoining to the western fringe of the road. Additional work to stabilize the roadway along the cliff side is planned, Caltrans said.
Better drainage at the positioning is anticipated to assist the road higher withstand extreme weather conditions that Caltrans said caused the recent slide. While Caltrans expects the work to be accomplished by Memorial Day, it's actually Mother Nature who is looking the shots. Because some jobs require crews to work from a crane basket over the side of the road, winds cannot exceed 25 miles per hour. Heavy rain could also delay work, Caltrans said.
Meanwhile, crews are making progress on repairs to a few other large slides on Highway 1 in Big Sur, based on Caltrans.
Work is underway on the Dolan Point Slide, positioned six miles south of Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, and that section of road is anticipated to reopen in mid-May. Repairs to Regent's Slide are expected to start inside the subsequent three weeks and be accomplished 100 business days after work begins, Caltrans said. This portion of the highway is anticipated to reopen in early fall. At Paul's Slide, crews are preparing for final alignment of the road, which can even begin in the approaching weeks.
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