Caltrans crews installing horizontal support drilling on Highway 1 Rocky Creek slip-out

MONTEREY COUNTY, Calif. (KION-TV) -- UPDATE ON APRIL 17, 2024 AT 5:05 PM- Caltrans shared an update on the status of the Highway 1 slip-out near the Rocky Creek Bridge.

During a Monterey County Briefing, A Caltrans spokesperson said crews have started overnight shifts to repair the part of the road near Palo Colorado Road.

Crews said that it will take multiple weeks for a temporary traffic signal to be installed at the construction site.

The California Highway Patrol is reminding people about the screening process for people trying to drive south of the closure especially during holiday weekends.

"We are turning around 40 vehicles on average during the week and weekends that number goes up to about 75," Officer Jessica Madueno said. "Half of those numbers given the weekend or weekday are trying to get down to Southern California."

The California Highway Patrol said other people who want to visit the Bixby Bridge are being turned away.

Convoys are still taking place at 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. every day.

Caltrains said that the horizontal dowels will be installed in five rows and after each row is complete, the face of the rock slope will be treated with reinforcing shotcrete. 

There is a 12-hour cure time before crews can begin drilling work on the next horizontal row, per a Caltrans spokesperson.

Caltrans announces stabilization work along Highway 1 at Rocky Creek could be done by Memorial Day

UPDATE ON APRIL 12, 2024 AT 4:57 PM- Caltrans District 5 announced crews are expected to complete initial repair work to stabilize the edge of Highway 1 south of the Rocky Creek Bridge by Memorial Day.

If all goes according to plan, this would signify the end of the current convoy system and but would result in a 24/7 signalized traffic control system at the site of a slip-out that saw a chunk of the road and hillside fall into the ocean during recent storms.

Some of the future work at the site will be dependent specifically on how windy it is at the job site. This is because Caltrans says they will have to install horizontal rock dowels using a crane to hold a basket with crewmembers in it over the edge of the road.

During that process, winds cannot exceed 25 miles per hour or else work will be delayed.

Timeline pending on when Highway 1 near Rocky Creek Bridge could reopen

Caltrans said that no additional damage was reported over the weekend from a road that slipped out along Highway 1 on March 30.

The bad news for people living there, the road is still closed near Palo Colorado Road and Rocky Creek Bridge as crews try to repair a chunk of the road still missing.

The County of Monterey did lift the evacuation warning for people who are stranded behind the closure.

Caltrans said there's no timeline for that work to finish.

After two days of a full road closure, convoys were allowed to take people in and out of Big Sur on Saturday.

A relief for people living in the area.

"My husband, he's been working on the other side, so he takes the convoys in and it seems smooth and helps out," said Megan Gens who lives in Big Sur.

Caltrans says the rain did not impact repairs. Still, we see this closure affecting all walks of life, from employees, business owners, tourists, and people who call Big Sur home.

"It's been very eerie but honestly, it's been kind of a special time because this is the best time for the community," Gens said. "Everyone comes together and helps support each other,"

So far, crews have installed k-rails, crash cushions, and temporary striping. Crews will start drilling vertical anchors on Tuesday.

A big question remains if there is a day set on when the road will be open.

"We think that by the end of the week, the contractor will be able to provide us with an estimate on how much time it might take to stabilize the edge of the roadway. said Kevin Drabinski who is the Caltrans Public Information Officer. "You know, with caveats, on the condition that the repair site remains, in good order,"

Drabinski said they're prioritizing stabilization right now. The next step will be to come up with a repair design.

Caltrans says favorable weather will make this process run smoother, but if rain makes an appearance in the forecast, the convoys may be closed again.

Convoys will run daily at 8 am and 4 pm.