Caltrans says Highway 1 to reopen at Paul’s Slide on Big Sur coast in late spring

BIG SUR – A full reopening of Highway 1 at Paul’s Slide is estimated to happen in late spring of 2024, according to Caltrans. That estimate makes allowances for some delays that could be caused by geology and winter storms.

Caltrans District 5 spokesperson Kevin Drabinski said this is the first time Caltrans has been able to put out an estimated time for reopening.

“We are at a point where we’re able to calculate the remaining tasks ahead,” said Drabinski. “We have multiple months of work left to do in an ideal situation and factored in the winter weather.”

Highway 1 remains closed to vehicle, bicycle and pedestrian traffic for 1.5 miles between Limekiln State Park to the south, and .6 miles south of the town of Lucia to the north.

Though the roadway is closed to through traffic at Paul’s Slide, travelers can still experience the Big Sur Coast north and south of that point, and businesses would appreciate visitors, said Drabinski.

Highway 1 at Paul’s Slide has been closed since about mid-February when a slide took out the roadway.

Crews will continue to work seven days a week toward reopening according to Caltrans. Crews will continue to work in a manner which prioritizes safe working conditions for construction and maintenance crews.

Drabinski said the biggest challenge has been the scale of the slide. Comparatively speaking, the stretch of highway along the Big Sur coast experienced four slide events last year with losses averaging about 30,000 cubic yards of material, whereas the Paul’s Slide event saw 500,000 cubic yards of material.

Another challenge has been the continued experiencing of additional slide events.

“In general, the Big Sur Coast is geologically active and you can expect movement there at any time,” said Drabinski, who added that those can differ in scale, location and impact to the roadway.

Before Highway 1 can completely reopen at Paul’s Slide, there are several tasks left for Caltrans crews to complete including the continued grading and contouring of the face of the slide to enhance the stability of the slope, the continued delivery of fill material to the south end of the repair site to support the new alignment of the road which will be elevated as much as 60 feet and slightly inland from its previous course, the installation of a series of new culverts to convey water and debris under the roadway, final surveys and paving of the road, and the installation of protective rockfall barriers on the northbound side and guardrail in the southbound direction.

The new alignment and elevation of the roadway will also provide for an expanded catchment area on the inland side intended to keep future slide materials away from the highway.

While Caltrans has confidence in the duration of the work necessary to complete the repairs, there is less certainty about how winter rains will affect this timetable, says Caltrans. Depending on the intensity and duration of a rain event, a single day of rain may delay production for multiple days. Production may be stopped to prepare the site in advance of forecasted rain. Once the rain event is over, resumption of production may be delayed due to saturation of the ground, or any damage caused by slide activity brought on by the rain.

Road information and updates can also be found on Caltrans District 5 Social Media platforms: X (formerly Twitter) at: @CaltransD5, Facebook at: Caltrans Central Coast (District 5) and Instagram at: Caltrans_D5.