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How are Big Sur businesses are recovering after the Highway 1 mudslide?

highway 1 gone
CHP Monterey
A photo showing Highway 1 storm damage shared by the CHP

BIG SUR, Calif. (KION) After evacuations from the Dolan Fire in the Big Sur area last year, evacuations from last week's storms, COVID-19 and the Highway 1 mudslide, businesses and residents are still reeling.

Big Sur Chamber of Commerce President Kirk Gafill, owner of Nepenthe Restaurant, believes that the recent mudslide will mean about a 30% reduction in business.

"Historically we've seen when theres a closure to our south that can generally have an impact at about reducing visitation levels by about 30%. Conversely, I would expect for the businesses on the south end would see something far ore significant to that because they're a cul-de-sac for the Northbound travelers."

Gafill is optimistic that the highway will open soon, but said that can only be determined when Caltrans has made their full assessment of the mudslide.

" A landslide or a small slippage on the highway can sometimes be repaired in a matter of hours or a day or two. This one though, clearly is going to be a little longer but we're still waiting for Caltrans to do it's assessment," says Gafill

However, the longer the duration of the repair, the more that businesses along Highway 1 may be affected.

Businesses like The Big Sur River Inn feel that this year has been tough.

"We're just coming up on a year of this, it has been a real rollercoaster ride for the businesses, not just here in Big Sur but across the country, worldwide I'm sure. When we have a situation where restrictions are put in place temporarily and then lifted and maybe reintroduced later on. Again, it's just his level of uncertainty that people don't know what they can or can't do," says Rick Aldinger, General Manager of The Big Sur River Inn.

Even though a portion of Highway 1 is closed, businesses in Big Sur want people to know that Big Sur is still open and accessible to the public.

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Stephanie Aceves

Stephanie Aceves is a former multi-media journalist at KION News Channel 5/46.

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