Big Sur, CA…The contractor made great progress in the last several days so final striping and inspection by our crews is underway. As a result, Highway 1 at Mud Creek reopened Wednesday, July 18, nearly 14 months after the massive landslide and emergency repair project. Electronic Message Signs will be changed once the highway is open, also Headquarters Communications and QuickMap will be updated. Our official ribbon-cutting/community celebration remains set for Friday, July 20 at 11 am at the Ragged Point Inn.

This $54 million repair included the reconstruction of ¼-mile of new roadway alignment built on the slide material and a compacted embankment at the south and north ends. The new highway extends out towards the ocean upwards of 250 from the original highway. The roadway is 150 to 260 feet above sea level and buttressed with a series of embankments, berms, rocks, netting, culverts and other stabilizing material.

IMPORTANT NOTE: All roadwork is still not complete at Mud Creek. Travelers may encounter one-way traffic control at times when a lane closure is needed, mostly on weekdays. Also, due to the cuts and work on the embankment and roadway at Mud Creek, it will take about two winters for the new slopes to fully stabilize.

The public may learn more about this and other projects by visiting the Caltrans District 5 News Release page at: http://dot.ca.gov/dist05/paffairs/release.htm. Aerial photo of Mud Creek from today, courtesy of John Madonna

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