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.
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.
