Caltrans preparing Central Coast roadways for potential winter weather

Winter prep work is now underway by Caltrans on many local highways ahead of any potential storms.

“This winter prep work gives us a chance to remove any dead trees clear the path for water and debris," said Caltrans District 5 Public Information Officer Kevin Drabinski.

Caltrans says they currently have a two-pronged approach when it comes to winter prep.
In addition to clearing potential debris, they also deploy equipment to be ready to respond at a moments notice.

In Monterey county, the agency focuses on coastal roads, while the focus in Santa Cruz County is the mountain areas.

“We're often faced with having a steep rise on one side of the highway and a drop off on the other side. And the key there is to make sure that the brush and debris are cleared so that water can flow directly into the culvert systems," Drabinski said.

Starting Monday, Oct. 2, Caltrans will close a stretch of Highway 9 between Paradise Park and Glengerry Road until the following Friday. We also asked about the ongoing closure at Highway 1 on Paul’s Slide in Big Sur.

“We're starting to set the base of the road at Paul's Slide. The real factors that make it complicated and announcing an estimated reopening date continue to be slide activity because that's the nature of this Paul Slide complex.”

In addition to Highway 9, Caltrans will also have a full closure of Highway 35 in the Santa Cruz mountains starting on Monday, Oct. 2. That closure is set to last until Dec. 10.