After 3 years of repairs, Highway 1 through Big Sur to fully reopen

"First, it was a series of strong atmospheric rivers in January 2023 that set off a troublesome landslide, again splitting up the world-famous drive along Big Sur's iconic coastline. Then, a second winter of drenching storms triggered two more slides, including one that completely buried another section of California's Highway 1 under 300,000 cubic yards of dirt, rock and debris. To make matters worse, just weeks later Mother Nature appeared to take a bite out of a cliffside lane near the Rocky Creek Bridge."

"But now, for the first time in three years, the coastal two-lane highway will be completely open for an uninterrupted drive of the roughly 100 miles between Carmel and Cambria. Several area business owners and employees told The Times that they were informed the reopening was scheduled for Wednesday afternoon, marking an early completion of repairs that the California Department of Transportation had initially estimated wouldn't be finished until March."

"Despite several closures at different locations throughout the past three years, the last stretch of the highway that remained closed was a 6.8-mile span from just north of Lucia until about a mile south of the Esalen Institute, according to Caltrans. Officials had been working to finalize repairs in that area, known as Regent's slide, which is part of a particularly steep section of the coastline that faces persistent pressure from an unrelenting ocean and harsh weather."

Strong atmospheric rivers in January 2023 triggered a landslide that split the Big Sur coastal drive, followed by a second winter of drenching storms that caused two additional slides and buried a section of Highway 1 under about 300,000 cubic yards of dirt, rock and debris. A cliffside lane near the Rocky Creek Bridge was also damaged. Repairs have been completed so the roughly 100-mile stretch between Carmel and Cambria will be open for uninterrupted travel. The reopening was scheduled for Wednesday afternoon, earlier than Caltrans' initial March estimate. The final closed stretch was a 6.8-mile span at Regent's slide on a steep, ocean-exposed section of coastline, and closures had previously forced detours inland on Highway 101 or the 5 Freeway.

Read at Los Angeles Times