Paul's Slide on Highway 1 near Big Sur opens Sunday

Lina Portman2 weeks ago

0 3 minutes read

Caltrans will reopen Highway 1 at Paul's Slide on Sunday, June 23, 2024, earlier than its previous scheduled date of early to mid-July. (Photo provided by Caltrans)

BIG SUR – Highway 1 at Paul's Slide is expected to reopen Sunday, according to Caltrans, which credits favorable site conditions and recent construction progress for an earlier-than-expected completion. It opens access to the community of Lucia, the Hermitage of Camaldoli and residents living within the recently reopened 4.3 miles of highway.

As of January 14, 2023, direct access to Highway 1 via Paul's Slide is not possible due to a major slide that displaced approximately 500,000 cubic meters of material which engulfed the roadway. Earlier this month, Caltrans said the slide site would be ready to open in early to mid-July.

“The challenge at Paul's Slide has always been repairing Highway 1 while movement continues at the slide site,” Caltrans Director Tony Tavares said in a news release. “Completing repairs and reopening a 4.3-mile section of this scenic byway will begin to restore some normalcy for area business owners and residents.”

On June 7, repair work on the Dolan Point side – at kilometer 29.5 – was completed, four months after taking place, but it will not change the turnaround point for southbound traffic.

“With the completion of repairs to the Dolan Point Slide, the turnaround point for southbound traffic on Highway 1 will remain in place at Lime Creek – after mile marker 32.1 – until repairs are completed. are completed at Regent's Slide,” said Kevin Drabinski, Caltrans District 5 spokesman. “The north turnaround point at Lime Creek is well suited as a turnaround location as it provides a good line of sight on approach and provides enough space for large vehicles to turn around.”

Repairs at Dolan Point involved top-down removal of slide material and reduction of rocks by blasting crews, after which a double-twisted cable mesh was installed along the slope face.

“Crews connected the seams of dozens of 150-foot lengths of mesh that were put into place by helicopter. This mesh will add an additional layer of protection to the highway below the slope,” Drabinski explained.

Now that Paul's Slide – after mile 22 – is open, traffic from the south will be able to come as far north as repair work on Regent's Slide – after mile 27.8 – will comfortably allow. The south U-turn point on Highway 1 will move from Limekiln State Park – after mile marker 21 – north to south of the Vicente Creek Bridge – after mile marker 25.3 – where travelers will have a clear line of sight when approaching and enough space for large vehicles to maneuver. and turn around.

After Paul's Slide reopens, crews will be on site over the next few weeks to remove additional slide hardware, complete drainage installation, and implement erosion control measures. Travelers will experience intermittent traffic control with only minimal delays during this work.

The contractor handling the repairs at Paul's Slide is Papich Construction of Arroyo Grande, according to Caltrans. The total cost of this project is approximately $60 million.

Repair work at the last remaining closure point on Highway 1 will continue at Regent's Slide, where the north turnaround point remains at Lime Creek, just south of the Esalen Institute. Caltrans estimates that repairs at Regent's Slide will be completed by late fall, at which time Highway 1 will once again be open to direct traffic along the entire Big Sur Coast Highway between Carmel and Cambria.

Tavares thanked the local community for their patience and support during the time it took to repair Paul's slide. He said the state agency also wanted to express its gratitude for the perseverance, ingenuity and determination demonstrated by Caltrans staff and contract crews throughout this process.

Traffic information and updates can also be found on Caltrans District 5 social media platforms: Twitter at: @CaltransD5, Facebook at: Caltrans Central Coast (District 5), and Instagram at: Caltrans_D5.

(Graphic courtesy of Caltrans)