2-mile closure of Highway 1 remains in effect on Big Sur coast due to recent slide activity

BIG SUR – A two-mile closure of Highway 1 remains in effect between Lucia and Limekiln State Park on the Big Sur coast due to recent slide activity at Paul’s Slide that has suspended the repair effort at that location for now.

Highway 1 on the Big Sur coast remains open in the north from Monterey to Lucia, and in the south from Cambria to Limekiln.

The continued movement of the hillside has paused slide removal efforts at Paul’s Slide, Highway 1 postmile marker 21.7, according to Caltrans. The result of current Geotech studies will help determine specific next steps for repair efforts.

“The Santa Lucia Mountains are a geologically active range as travelers on Highway 1 on the Big Sur coast can attest,” said Kevin Drabinski, Caltrans District 5 public information officer in an email. “This is an area prone to slide activity both in the winter when the ground is lubricated and often, in months after the rains, when the soil is drying out.”

Slides are a common occurrence as a consequence of major storms hitting the Central Coast and this year’s heavy winter storms caused landslides along the Big Sur coast effecting portions of Highway 1 in Monterey County.

One of the more heavily damaged areas occurred at Paul’s Slide about 44 miles south of Monterey where movement of the hillside continues, prompting the halting of repair work and the continued closure of the roadway.

Drabinski said that at the beginning of the Paul’s Slide repair effort earlier this year it was estimated that 500,000 cubic yards of material would have to be moved from the slide area spanning about one-half mile in length.

Caltrans said that Geotech crews continue to study measurements of recent slide activity and, in coordination with Caltrans engineering teams, will design repairs based on the assessment of these slide conditions.

“Geotech teams use measurements derived from drone imagery as well as surveys to track movement on the hillside,” said Drabinski. “A range of engineering disciplines come in to play as a repair strategy is defined which will take into account the dynamic nature of the landslide.”

The California State Transportation Agency says its approach continues to prioritize the safety of crews who have worked almost nonstop since late March to remove slide material and stabilize the hillside.

Drabinski said there is no estimate on when work at Paul’s Slide might start up again, and no estimate for the reopening of Highway 1 at that location.

According to the California Department of Parks and Recreation, the southern closure is located one half mile south of Paul’s Slide. There is no parking in the turnaround area. Limekiln State Park remains closed with entry into the park strictly prohibited. It is also illegal to camp in turnouts or anywhere on Highway 1 along the Big Sur coast unless in a designated campsite in a campground open to the public per Monterey County Code 14.18.020(a). Travelers on Highway 1 north of Ragged Point will encounter multiple areas of intermittent traffic control as repairs to damage from winter storms continues at various locations.

Road information and updates can be found on Caltrans District 5 Social Media platforms: Twitter at: @CaltransD5, Facebook at: Caltrans Central Coast (District 5) and Instagram at: Caltrans_D5.