Historic concrete bridge rails at Garrapata have seen the end of their life

BIG SUR, Calif. (KION) Whether it’s your first time driving down highway one, or you're a local who has made the trip a handful of times. Many can agree that bridges and guardrails along the iconic highway could use a little tender love and care. 

The Big Sur and Garrapata Creek Bridge Rail Replacement Project is a long lead project to upgrade nonstandard bridge rails to current standards, according to Kevin Drabinski Caltrans District 5 Public Information Officer. 

“These guys are our backbone for us to go back and forth. Yeah, we definitely need to look into it and take good care of it,” said Surya Shrestha, a resident of Seaside.

And locals and visitors agree improvements are never a bad idea. 

“Everything is so scenic, when you are driving it’s really easy to be distracted because you are taking in the breath taking views, so definitely having more safety rails and having stability and maintaining all of that would be really great,” mentioned Jenny Truong, visiting from Los Angeles.   

The project came about in response to a 2016 Bridge Inspection Report that gave six bridges, along the Big Sur Coast, a poor rating which showed various levels of deterioration, some from the salt-laden fog that accelerated the overall deterioration of concrete and reinforcing steel. 

Some of these locations people might not think twice about driving over like Mal Paso Creek. Other spots are more iconic, like the historic arch bridges like Bixby Creek.

The project is divided into two components,  Tier 1 Big Sur Bridge Rail Replacement Program and Tier 2 Garrapata Creek Bridge Rail Replacement Project. As of right now, the current project is for the Garrapata Creek Bridge rail eplacement, only. There have been guardrails sections installed this past spring, but prior to this, the bridge rail has not been replaced since its installation in 1931. 

"The other bridges along Big Sur are not programmed in the 10 year State Highway Operation and Protection Program (SHOPP) funding cycle, so we do not currently have any projects to replace any other rail right now," Drabinski.

The environmental process will also be considered and would require approval through the State Historic Preservation Officer. And because this is a two-lane highway, when the rail is being removed and installed you can expect a small delay. 

Construction is expected to take place from Fall of 2023 through Fall of 2024.