Hwy. 1 on Big Sur coast won’t fully reopen this year, Caltrans says. Here’s why

Travelers won’t be able to take the scenic, oceanfront stretch of Highway 1 from Cambria all the way to Big Sur anytime this year, Caltrans announced Friday at Ragged Point.

That’s because the agency has no timetable for when it will be able to clear a troublesome slide midway up the famed 100-mile coastline.

More than a month ago, Caltrans halted excavation work at Regent’s Slide, after workers noticed surface cracking about 450 feet above the roadway, Caltrans officials said on Aug. 16.

The location has been blocked to traffic since February, when a landslide dumped about 300,000 cubic yards of rock and dirt over the highway.

It was the latest major slide that has prevented the highway from being fully open for about two years.

Now, Caltrans has decided that the ongoing situation will prevent the agency from fully opening Highway 1 by the end of the year.

What happens after that is up to Mother Nature and Caltrans’ ability to safely resume its aggressive repair schedule, even as the calendar turns to wetter fall and winter weather.

Regent’s Slide on Highway 1

This map shows the location of the Regent’s Slide along the Big Sur Coast, including the surrounding areas like Santa Cruz, Monterey, Cambria, and San Luis Obispo.

Map created with the assistance of ChatGPT.

The new cracks were “in the slope where major excavation efforts were underway. In the weeks since that update, continued land movement and slope cracking were observed during intensive project monitoring and investigation,” according to a Caltrans news release about the “challenging repairs.”

“Before excavation work begins again, crews need to monitor both the new slide and the area of undisturbed land above the project site, where the start of new excavation work is planned,” the release said. “Data from these investigations will inform the repair design.”

The release continued: “Major excavation work and repairs will resume when crews and equipment can be positioned on stable ground above and behind the new slide activity.”

Representatives pledge to issue regular updates about the progress of repairs and an estimated reopening date, although the latter will be tentative at best.

What is open for travel on Highway 1?

At the Ragged Point news conference on Friday, Drabinski and others emphasized that the majority of the 100-mile highway between Cambria and Carmel is open to travel and sightseeing, recreation, shopping, dining and overnight stays.

There’s just that pesky quarter-mile-wide stretch on which neither construction work nor travel is safe, he said.

For now, the only “direct” route to the Monterey Peninsula from San Luis Obispo County is to go up Highway 101 and over to the coast on Highway 68, a 2.5-hour trip.

Including the slide area, the closure extends for 6.8 miles because most sections of the serpentine, two-land highway have few areas where drivers can safely turn their vehicles around and go back.

Regent’s Slide is 45 miles south of Carmel and about 30 miles north of Ragged Point near the San Luis Obispo/Monterey county line. The closure is a mile south of the Esalen Institute and 2 miles north of the small community of Lucia, an area that’s seen many slides through the decades.

Area businesses have been struggling

While the prolonged closure has snarled travel plans, it’s had a much more serious effect on area businesses, especially those that rely heavily on the tourist trade.

Caltrans urged people to take advantage of the open sections of the famed route, with their unparalleled views, waterfalls, historic bridges, restaurants, lodging amenities and more.

“Travelers from Southern California will find unparalleled views and charming destinations along Highway 1,” the release said, listing Cambria, San Simeon, Ragged Point, Gorda and Lucia as populated highlights.

“Since the 1960s, my family has been privileged to share the beauty and magic of the south Big Sur coast with visitors from around the world,” Jim Ramey of the Ragged Point Inn said. “Today, visitors from the south still have clear access to magnificent views, hiking, camping, beaches, restaurants, resorts, and all the sights that make this area distinctive.”

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