BIG SUR – Caltrans will be conducting another overnight closure on Highway 1 this weekend followed by periodic traffic control over the next few days as it continues its emergency repairs near the Rocky Creek Bridge, 12 miles south of Carmel.
On Sunday, beginning at 10 p.m., travelers will encounter a full overnight closure of the roadway at Rocky Creek so that Caltrans crews can grind and repave the asphalt area between the 2012 viaduct and the new 2025 viaduct, as well as both the northbound and southbound lanes of the new viaduct structure.
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Caltrans District 5 spokesperson Kevin Drabinski said the 2012 Rocky Creek viaduct was built after a road failure – within a half mile between Rocky Creek Bridge and Bixby Bridge – similar to the 2024 Rocky Creek slip out.
“The repair was more challenging in that the viaduct was on a curve whereas the 2024 slip out took place on a straightaway,” said Drabinski. “Like so many Highway 1 repairs, one drives over it now hardly noticing that a previous repair took place on the site.”
Caltrans continues emergency repairs to Highway 1 near the Rocky Creek Bridge — post mile 60 — where the slip out that occurred on March 20, 2024. The repairs include the construction of viaducts under both lanes of the roadway and repairing the seawall below.
On Monday, beginning at 10 a.m., and lasting until 2 p.m., travelers will encounter flagging control with delays of up to 20 minutes to permit crews to deliver equipment to the seawall restoration project immediately below the Rocky Creek Bridge.
“Materials will be brought from the roadway down to the shore via a helicopter,” said Drabinski. “This delivery method reduces the need for full overnight closures of the highway.”
Following Sunday’s overnight closure, overnight traffic control at Rocky Creek will start Monday and last through Thursday to allow crews to perform final paving and sealing of the lanes of the northbound and southbound viaduct structure. Travelers on Highway 1 will pass through Rocky Creek under flagged traffic control each night from 8 p.m. through 8 a.m. with delays of up to 20 minutes. This flagged traffic control is being implemented in place of any full overnight closures.
When the slip out occurred in 2024, it resulted in a loss of a section of the southbound lane disrupting the flow of traffic to Big Sur for a time before measures where taken to restore vehicle passage using only the northbound lane. Caltrans established one-way, 24-7, signalized traffic control to allow for travelers to access activities and businesses in Big Sur.
Caltrans has repaired the southbound lane by constructing a viaduct to support that side of the roadway. The viaduct installation entailed crews drilling and casting reinforced concrete columns to support the weight of the viaduct structure in advance of the installation of girders. The design of the viaduct involved support from the two ends as well as two support columns in the middle, which made for a three-span design. The three girders for the southbound lane — which were installed in mid-December — were placed across three spans, totaling nine concrete girders, ranging from 45 to 65 feet in length. That was followed up by a full overnight closure to allow Caltrans crews to pour the concrete bridge deck for the southbound lane of the Rocky Creek viaduct structure.
The southbound lane of Highway 1 at Rocky Creek reopened to travel on March 8, after completion of the southbound viaduct structure.
Highway 1 at the Rocky Creek slip out repair site has had many overnight closures in the past few weeks to accelerate completion of the northbound viaduct structure. A recent overnight closure was conducted to pour concrete for the northbound bridge deck that followed the successful installation of six concrete girders a few weeks ago.
Caltrans has also used previous overnight closures to deliver supplies and equipment to the shore below for the seawall restoration project.
The estimated price tag for the repair work at the Rocky Creek slip out is $21 million with final completion of the Rocky Creek viaduct projected to be this summer, dependent on conditions encountered during construction. The contractor for this project is Gordon N. Ball, Inc. of Walnut Creek, CA.
More than 100 miles of Highway 1 on the Big Sur Coast remain open and accessible.
Though Highway 1 to Big Sur is open, the coastal highway remains closed 40 miles south of Carmel due to the Regent’s Slide — post mile 27.8 — which occurred March 9, 2024, and where top-down removal of slide material by crews began on April 30, 2024.
Travelers to the Big Sur coast from southern California will also encounter the closure of the coast highway at Regent’s Slide. The vast majority of the Big Sur coast remains accessible and open with about 6 miles of closure between the north and south ends of Highway 1 to accommodate work on Regent’s Slide.
Road information and updates can also be found on Caltrans District 5 Social Media platforms: X/Twitter at: @CaltransD5, Facebook at: Caltrans Central Coast (District 5) and Instagram at: Caltrans_D5.