Iconic Highway 1 Into Big Sur To Reopen 2 Months Ahead Of Schedule
BIG SUR (CBSLA) — Road trips up the California coast could happen sooner rather than later because a washed-out section of Highway 1 is expected to reopen by the end of this month.
Work on the Highway 1 at Rat Creek, south of Big Sur, is two months ahead of schedule thanks to favorable weather and soil conditions, according to Caltrans District 5.
Great news: #Hwy1 at Rat Creek south of #BigSur will OPEN to thru traffic by Friday, April 30, two months ahead of schedule due to favorable weather & soil conditions. Thanks for your patience & cooperation, kudos to our crews/contractor for a safe, speedy rebuild. @BigSurCC pic.twitter.com/YnD42eJ7Um
— Caltrans District 5 (@CaltransD5) April 8, 2021
The world-famous scenic highway, which hugs the coast of California, has been closed since January after a 150-foot section of roadway was washed away in a rain-swollen mudflow from the Dolan Fire burn scar.
Crews began filling the canyon below the washout with dirt in early March, and Caltrans is expected to establish the base of a new road, then pave and stripe it by the end of the month.
Highway 1 has been closed intermittently in recent years due to mudflows and landslides from wildfires. In 2017, a quarter-mile of the coastal route was buried at Mud Creek, forcing Caltrans to rebuild the road over the landslide.