Re-opening of Highway 41 in Atascadero delayed due to rain
Update posted March 24:
Photo taken on March 22.
Full opening expected next weekend, highway detours remain in place
– A roughly three-mile stretch of Highway 41 will remain closed in both directions from San Gabriel Road to Los Altos Road in Atascadero until next weekend, weather permitting. The road closed Tuesday, March 14 following a landslide on both lanes of the highway caused by recent storms.
Crews have removed an estimated 7,000 yards of dirt from the slide and slope. Approximately 8,000 to 10,000 yards of material remain with top-down excavation expected to continue tomorrow through the weekend.
The highway was expected to reopen in both directions this weekend, but this week’s storm delayed the reopening due to saturated conditions. With more rain in the forecast, the highway is expected to reopen in both directions next weekend.
Travelers can take Hwy. 46, Hwy. 1, or Hwy. 101 as an alternate route. Message and directional signs are in place. Additional signage is also going up to reiterate there is no direct connection between Morro Bay and Atascadero.
The contractor for this $2.8 million, multiple location, emergency project is Souza Construction of San Luis Obispo.
For traffic updates on other state highways in San Luis Obispo County, motorists can call Caltrans District 5 Public Affairs at (805) 549-3318 or can visit the Caltrans District 5 website at: https://dot.ca.gov/caltrans-near-me/district-5.
Update posted March 18:
Update: Highway 41 expected to re-open next week
– A roughly three-mile stretch of Highway 41 remains closed in both directions from San Gabriel Road to Los Altos Road in Atascadero due to a landslide caused by recent inclement weather, according to Caltrans. The road closed Tuesday, March 14 following a slide on both lanes of the highway.
Crews have removed an estimated 6,000 yards of dirt from the slide and have another 10,000 yards to cut from the slope and remove. A spider excavator has begun to cut a bench at the top of the slope to allow for slide removal from the top down, to restore the highway.
The highway is expected to reopen in both directions next weekend, weather permitting.
Work will continue through this weekend on Saturday and Sunday from sunrise to sunset.
Travelers can take Hwy. 46 or Hwy. 1 as an alternate route. Message and directional signs are in place.
The contractor for this $2.8 million, multiple location, emergency project is Souza Construction of San Luis Obispo.
Update posted March 16:
Update: Highway 41 in Atascadero remains closed
– Highway 41 remains closed in both directions from San Gabriel Road to Los Altos Road in Atascadero due to slide activity from recent inclement weather.
The road closed around 2 p.m. on Tuesday, March 14 due to slide activity, downed trees, and wires.
Caltrans’ Geotech team is working to determine the next steps. This is expected to be a long-term closure, according to Caltrans.
Travelers will need to plan ahead and can take Hwy. 46 or Hwy. 1 as an alternate route. Message and directional signs are in place.
Original story posted March 15:
Highway 41 in Atascadero closed due to mud slide activity
– Highway 41 in Atascadero will be closed overnight in both directions from San Gabriel Road to Los Altos Road due to slide activity caused by inclement weather, officials said Tuesday.
The closure began at 2 p.m. yesterday due to slide activity, downed trees, and wires, according to the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans).
Caltrans’ Geotech team will meet on-site today to assess the damage and determine the next steps.
Travelers are advised to plan ahead and take either Highway 46 or Highway 101 as an alternate route. Message and directional signs have been put in place to assist motorists.
Caltrans is reminding motorists to move over and slow down when driving through highway construction zones.
For traffic updates on other state highways in San Luis Obispo County, motorists can call Caltrans District 5 Public Affairs at (805) 549-3318 or visit the Caltrans District 5 website at https://dot.ca.gov/caltrans-near-me/district-5.
