The section of Highway 1 in northern Big Sur severely damaged by recent storms is expected to reopen Friday — yes, this Friday.
Gov. Gavin Newsom's office announced the planned reopening Tuesday, saying the portion of the highway near Rocky Creek Bridge will open Friday, May 17, eight days ahead of schedule.
“Crews have been working day and night to quickly repair the damage to Highway 1 caused by recent storms, which has disrupted the lives of individuals living in and around Big Sur — limiting access to the area and hampering tourism," the governor said in a news release announcing the reopening. "Thanks to the diligent efforts, traffic will resume eight days ahead of schedule — bringing relief and a sense of normalcy back to one of California’s most iconic coastal communities.”
The reopening is not without restrictions.
The governor's office said the highway will use 24/7 signalized traffic control, resulting in one-way alternating traffic in northbound and southbound directions at the slip-out.
The highway closed on March 30 after about 6 feet of pavement and an unreinforced retaining wall that supported the highway fell into the ocean 170 feet below.
Crews stabilized the highway by installing 40 vertical and 75 sub-horizontal steel elements into the slope, according to the governor's office. A permanent repair is expected to be completed in the spring of 2025.
The slip-out left the southbound lane partially undermined and impassable. Some residents and travelers were temporarily stranded by the damage and had to wait for convoys to lead them through the area. Others had to change their travel plans entirely, as KSBY's Ashley Stevens previously reported.
Paul's Slide, the landslide that blocks access to Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park from the south, is still a work in progress. Crews have had to deal with multiple slides in that area.
