The northbound Highway 101 Gaviota rest area has experienced several closures over the last few years.
One closure was to complete major renovations to the wastewater and electrical systems. Then in January of this year, storm damage impacted the water lines that feed the facility, closing it again.
On Tuesday, the rest area reopened to travelers.
Kyle Smith, traveling north for the holidays, was one of the first visitors to stop by and said having a place to stop on long trips with her family is essential.
"We are traveling up from Orange County to Morro Bay with two little kids in the car. We need snack breaks and potty breaks every two hours so having somewhere to stop is very important when traveling with young children," Smith said.
Unfortunately, the re-opening was short-lived. After around 45 minutes, Caltrans began putting back the cones and road closure signs, saying the rest area was again closed due to issues with the water line.
A Caltrans spokesperson says the mechanical issues in the water supply line are outside of Caltrans' control and there is no timeframe for when they may be able to reopen the northbound side of the rest area.
Caltrans is targeting next spring for the southbound Highway 101 rest area to reopen following the completion of an emergency project to repair the slope and retaining wall.
