Highway 1 repairs near Big Sur to include overnight work with delays, closures

BIG SUR – Repair work on the Rocky Creek slip-out that occurred March 30 along a stretch of Highway 1 continues and will now include intermittent delays and full closures during overnight hours five days a week beginning the next two weeks.

Kevin Drabinski, Caltrans District 5 spokesperson said that “repair work at the Rocky Creek slip-out is on schedule.” The overnight efforts will entail excavation and drilling in preparation for the installation of columns that will support the roadway where the slip-out occurred.

So far the emergency repair work near Rocky Creek Bridge, 12 miles south of Carmel, has included stabilizing and reinforcing the roadway at the site and opening the flow of traffic to a one-way signalized control system for 24-7 access to Big Sur and its businesses, which remain open to summer visitors.

For the next two weeks, overnight work is scheduled starting Sunday through next Thursday on a 10 p.m.-6 a.m. schedule. No overnight work will take place Friday or Saturday nights. Then overnight work resumes Aug. 4–8 from 10 p.m.-6 a.m. Caltrans will provide further updates to this schedule.

There will be two types of traffic impacts associated with overnight work, says Caltrans. These will involve either intermittent delays of up to one hour or full overnight closures of the highway.

When repair work involves the occasional movement of equipment and machinery across the entire width of the project area, it will result in intermittent delays of up to one hour. These intermittent one-hour delays for overnight work will be a recurring feature of the Rocky Creek repair work.

When equipment and machinery are required to work across the full width of the project area throughout the entire overnight shift, it will result in a full closure of the highway, Sunday through Thursday nights from 10 p.m.-6 a.m. No travel will be permitted through the repair site during full overnight closures.

From Sunday through Thursday next week, travelers will encounter intermittent delays of up to one hour from 10 p.m.-6 a.m.

The following week, Aug. 4–8, travelers will encounter the full overnight closure of Highway 1 at the Rocky Creek slip-out repair site from 10 p.m.-6 a.m.

Daytime repair work should not result in any significant travel delays. Daytime travelers will continue to enjoy access through the repair site driving on the northbound lane.

Drabinski said Caltrans wants the public to know what to expect with the intermittent delays and closures in the next two weeks, and that they still have access to and from Big Sur.

“This is Main Street for that community and we’re doing what we can to encourage travel in that direction during this repair,” said Drabinski.

Starting Sunday, once equipment is moved on site and the work area is set up, digging and drilling will start. In the meantime, k-rails, the concrete barriers setup to separate workers from traffic, were adjusted and the roadway restriped so work can occur in the southbound lane.

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The effort will see holes drilled for two middle support columns of a three-span viaduct to reinforce the southbound lane, said Drabinski. Later this year, three precast concrete girders will be put in place. Once the support system is situated, the roadway will be paved, completing the work of the replacement southbound lane. Traffic will then be diverted to the new lane, and the same work will be performed on the northbound lane.

The estimated price tag for the repair work at the Rocky Creek slip-out is $21 million.

The estimate for completion of the Rocky Creek viaduct is summer 2025 and is dependent on conditions encountered during construction. The contractor for this project is Gordon N. Ball, Inc. of Alamo.

Highway 1 remains closed 40 miles south of Carmel due to the Regent’s Slide – post mile 27.8 – where work began on April 30, and which is expected to be cleared by late fall of this year.

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.