Latest Highway 1 collapse halts plans for travelers as crews work for solution

The slip-out and closure of Highway 1 happened Saturday afternoon just south of the Rocky Creek Bridge north of Big Sur.

According to a statement released by Caltrans on Sunday, crews are working at the site trying to stabilize the edge of the roadway and put together a permanent repair.

Travelers from down south are having to make the adjustments through the Central Coast.

“We were planning to go traveling up the coast," San Diego resident Leo Khazanovsky said. "We were going to take [Highway 1]. We want to go all the way up the coast to San Francisco. But we had to adjust the plans a bit.”

According to the statement released on X, formerly Twitter, crews will be placing 500 feet of concrete barriers along the center line of the roadway to help vehicles pass through while construction workers complete the permanent repair. Travel plans were hindered for one family here looking at colleges in California.

“Someone from back east gave us the heads up," Charlotte, North Carolina, resident Peter Loiko said. "Really what it did is cut out about 80% of PCH for us to come in straight down. So there's a lot of highlights north of here that we had missed on, but we're fortunate to make it down to San Simeon and we're happy here now.”

Convoys are currently operating from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. in both the northbound and southbound lanes.

However, if rain surfaces in the next few days, creating unstable conditions, convoys securing cars around the slip-out will be canceled.

The slip-out north of Big Sur has effectively isolated the popular state park. A major landslide south of the state park, known as Paul's Slide, has blocked access from the south. Caltrans estimates this section of the highway will reopen in late spring of this year.