Highway 1 slips into the sea, marathon changes course

Repair work by Caltrans and its partners continues at the Rocky Creek slip-out that occurred March 30 on Highway 1 near Big Sur. Caltrans started working around the clock on the stabilization effort on its way to meeting its May 27 one-way reversing signal light reopening of the roadway there. JUSTIN SULLIVAN — GETTY IMAGES

Gov. Gavin Newsom visited the site of the Highway 1 slip-out near the Rocky Creek Bridge, announcing a proclamation signed by him allowing for Caltrans to request funding through the Federal Highway Administration’s Emergency Relief Program. The highway was anticipated to re-open with alternating one-way traffic control by May 25. The slip-out occurred March 30 and damaged much of the southbound lane of the highway. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE GOVERNOR’S OFFICE

The Big Sur Marathon ran an alternative route this year due to the slip out by Rocky Creek. Almost 5,000 runners challenged the new course. ARIANNA NALBACH — MONTEREY HERALD

The American Tin Cannery was approved as a site for a hotel project by the Coastal Commission. MONTEREY HERALD FILE

Image

The rain came in like a lion to end March and start April, sweeping away part of Highway 1.

A slip-out of Highway 1 near Rocky Creek Bridge prompted a closure of the roadway from Palo Colorado Road to south of Rocky Creek Bridge, hobbling business in Big Sur.

Big Sur residents have grown accustomed to frequent washouts of Highway 1, but this one was a little late in the season and carried with it plenty of ramifications. Several Big Sur visitors were stranded overnight, unable to leave with the highway being blocked to the south by a previous slide, as well as to the north. By the next day, officials were able to form convoys to let people in and out of the area again to the north.

“The key difference with this one is that convoys are providing somewhat reliable access of supplies and employees,” said Big Sur Chamber of Commerce President and General Manager of Nepenthe Kirk Gafill. “But it doesn’t address the economic impact to businesses.”

Gafill said that nearly 100% of Big Sur business volume is generated by visitors to the area. After the slideout all the state parks in the area were temporarily closed and authorities discouraged visiting the Big Sur coast for a time.

The washout also forced the Big Sur Marathon to make a huge adjustment. The extremely popular race runs along Highway 1 from Big Sur Station to Carmel traditionally on the last weekend of April. But because of the washout race organizers had to make the run an out and back course from Carmel, only the second time since 1986 they’ve had to do that.

“What makes the race so special and unique also makes it vulnerable,” race Executive Director Josh Priester. “We have a great spot for these events. Sometimes Mother Nature does its thing.”

Although repairs are ongoing on the slipout, a traffic light was installed to help control traffic and allow visitors to return to Big Sur.

To restore the roadway, Caltrans crews installed vertical rock dowels along the western edge of the roadway at the slip-out, followed by horizontal rock dowels. The vertical and horizontal dowels, along with rock bolts and shotcrete sprayed over the webbing, help to spread the load out and stabilizes the edge of the roadway.

The marathon, meanwhile, went off without a hitch.

“I’ve never done this course before, and I thought that I was going to be disappointed (because of the course change), but it was actually really nice,” said Carrie Moore, a marathon runner. “It felt almost like a solo run, and all the vendors were cheering us on. I thought it was a gorgeous course.”

American Tin Cannery

After being at a standstill for two years, the California Coastal Commission voted 9-1 to approve a coastal permit for the hotel project slated to be built on the site of the American Tin Cannery in Pacific Grove. The permit is for the revised hotel plans, a smaller version cutting down on about 85,000 square-feet of space. This version includes 206 rooms, a public park and plaza on the corner of Ocean View Boulevard, and should not use more water than what is already in supply at the site.

Commissioners said the deciding factors were the developers adding low-cost accommodations to the hotel, safeguards in place for the harbor seals’ pupping season and the knowledge that Monterey One Water, the region’s recycled water plant, would be expanding in the future to help supply water.

Commissioner Justin Cummings, the Central Coast representative, said he believed that also the developers were going “above and beyond” to protect harbor seals during pupping season, citing that national and local marine organizations dene pupping season sometime between February and May, and that developers would not do “intense construction” between November and July.

The project hasn’t broken ground yet.