Update: Highway 1 subject to one-hour traffic delays on weekdays at rock slide site
Highway will be fully open without traffic control on weekends
– Continued efforts to remove slide material from above the roadway on Highway 1 in northern San Luis Obispo County will result in one-hour delays for travelers on weekdays during daytime hours.
Beginning Tuesday Dec. 4, traffic control in the immediate vicinity of the Polar Star slide, one mile south of Ragged Pont at Post Mile 71.8, will hold to the following schedule:
- Monday thru Friday, Highway 1 will be subject to traffic control with one-hour delays from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. The highway will be fully open on weekdays, without traffic control, from 5 p.m. to 7 a.m.
- On weekends, Highway 1 will be fully open, without traffic control, from Friday at 5 pm until Monday at 7 am.
This schedule is anticipated to be in effect for at least the next two weeks.
Crews with specialized equipment will be on site to remove remaining slide material from above the roadway. These weekday one-hour traffic delays are necessary for crews and equipment to dedicate the maximum amount of daylight hours to these efforts in advance of future weather events.
Message and directional signs will be in place to alert travelers in the area.
For traffic updates on other state highways in San Luis Obispo County, travelers may contact Caltrans District 5 Public Affairs at (805) 549-3318 or can visit the District 5 website at: https://dot.ca.gov/caltrans-near-me/district-5
Update posted Dec. 29, 6 a.m.
Slide has remained active and crews will not have a decision on a course of action until after rains subside
– Highway 1 remains closed due to rockfall and debris in the roadway in northern San Luis Obispo County from just south of Ragged Point to the Elephant Seal Vista Point. There is no estimated time for reopening.
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Maintenance teams and contractors continue to assess how to safely remove an undermined rock mass on the hill high above the roadway. The slide itself is located about two miles south of Ragged Point at a location known as Polar Star at Post Mile 71.8.
On Monday Dec. 27, Caltrans entered into a $1.25 million emergency contract with Souza Construction of San Luis Obispo to clear the slide, remove the unsupported rock above the roadway, and perform other related repairs.
The slide has remained active and crews will not have a definitive decision on a course of action until after rains expected in the coming days have subsided. Crews will continue to monitor and assess the situation during daylight hours and updates will be provided as more information becomes available.
Travelers from the Monterey/Carmel area should be advised that Highway 1 remains open from the north, through Big Sur proper, all the way down to Ragged Point. Travelers from the south are advised that Highway 1 remains open through Cambria and San Simeon. Barricades, cones, as well as message and directional signs are in place at both ends of the closure to alert motorists traveling in the area.
The slide is located two miles south of Ragged Point at a location known as Polar Star.
Update posted Dec. 28, 6 a.m.:
– As of Tuesday morning at 6 a.m., Highway 1 north of Ragged Point to 11.7-miles south of the Monterey County Line remains closed due to a rock slide. Motorists are advised to use a different route. The slide is located two miles south of Ragged Point at a location known as Polar Star.
There is currently no estimated time for reopening as maintenance/engineer teams are assessing the closure area this morning and will continue to work during daylight hours when it’s safe for crews to do so prior to any change of the closure parameters. Decisions on modifying the closure parameters will be determined by these field assessments. The cleanup effort could be impacted by additional rainfall in the area.
Barricades, cones as well as message and directional signs are in place at both ends of the closure to alert motorists traveling in the area.
For traffic updates on other state highways in Monterey and San Luis Obispo Counties, travelers may contact Caltrans District 5 Public Affairs at (805) 549-3318 or can visit the District 5 website at: https://dot.ca.gov/caltrans-near-me/district-5
Original story posted Dec. 27, 6 a.m.:
Currently no estimated time for reopening
– Rockfall and debris in the roadway associated with an ongoing rain event has resulted in the closure of Highway 1 Sunday afternoon on the Big Sur Coast from San Simeon Road to south of Ragged Point in San Luis Obispo County. As of Monday morning at 6:08 a.m., the road remains closed. Motorists are advised to take an alternate route.
There is currently no estimated time for reopening as maintenance/engineer teams assess the closure area during daylight hours.
Assessments of the closure area of Highway 1 will continue to take place during daylight hours and when it’s safe for crews to do so prior to any change of the closure parameters. Decisions on modifying closure parameters will be determined by these field assessments. Barricades, cones as well as message and directional signs will be in place at both ends of the closure to alert motorists traveling in the area.
For traffic updates on other state highways in Monterey and San Luis Obispo Counties, travelers may contact Caltrans District 5 Public Affairs at (805) 549-3318 or can visit the District 5 website at: https://dot.ca.gov/caltrans-near-me/district-5
