BIG SUR >> Caltrans announces another overnight closure planned for Sunday from 10 p.m. — 6 a.m. Monday as it continues to repair Highway 1 at the site of a slip out that happened last year near Rocky Creek Bridge.

“We erect a crane during this overnight closure to drop down materials and equipment to the shore below,” said Caltrans District 5 spokesperson Kevin Drabinski. “This is part of our seawall restoration project.”

The seawall reconstruction is necessary as the slip out resulted in the crumbling of the southbound lane of Highway 1 to the shore below where the seawall is situated. The seawall protects the southern end of Rocky Creek Bridge and the slope below the recently constructed viaduct, from wave action damage.

The use of the crane to lower equipment and materials down to the shoreline to repair the seawall necessitates the crane to straddle both lanes resulting in the closure of the roadway.

According to Caltrans, the crane is elevated and supported off the roadway by what are referred to as “outriggers,” which distribute the load of the crane to four points around it thereby stabilizing and leveling the crane. If the tires of the crane were touching the ground, they would introduce another point of contact and may cause the weight to be distributed unevenly which could cause the crane to tip.

Work during previous overnight closures have resulted in crews using vacuum trucks to remove rock and water from holes left by the removal of the temporary shoring piles. These temporary shoring piles were the vertical structures driven into the ground to support excavation work, prevent soil collapse, and ensure stability during construction. In coming weeks these holes will then be backfilled with concrete during daytime shifts.

Caltrans continues emergency repairs to Highway 1 near the Rocky Creek Bridge — post mile 60 — where the slip out that occurred on March 20, 2024, resulting in a loss of a section of the southbound lane disrupting the flow of traffic to Big Sur for a time before measures where taken to restore vehicle passage using only the northbound lane. Caltrans established one-way, 24-7, signalized traffic control to allow for travelers to access activities and businesses in Big Sur.

The southbound lane of Highway 1 at Rocky Creek was reopened to travel on March 8, 2025, after completion of the southbound viaduct structure.

The emergency repairs to Highway 1 included the construction of a viaduct to support the roadway and will see the repairs to a concrete seawall at the base of the cliff.

Crews drilled and cast reinforced concrete columns to support the weight of the viaduct structure in advance of the installation of girders. The design of the viaduct involves support from the two ends as well as two support columns in the middle, which make for a three-span design.

Three girders were placed across three spans, totaling nine concrete girders, ranging from 45 to 65 feet in length, that were installed in mid-December.

The contractor for the emergency repairs near the Rocky Creek Bridge is Gordon N. Ball, Inc. of Walnut Creek. The estimated price tag for the repair work at the Rocky Creek slip out is $21 million.

The estimate for completion of the Rocky Creek viaduct is this summer and is dependent on conditions encountered during construction.

Rocky Creek Bridge is located 12 miles south of Carmel and more than 100 miles of Highway 1 on the Big Sur Coast remain open and accessible.

Though Highway 1 to Big Sur is open, the coastal highway remains closed 40 miles south of Carmel due to the Regent’s Slide — post mile 27.8 — which occurred March 9, 2024, and where top-down removal of slide material by crews began on April 30, 2024.

Travelers to the Big Sur coast from southern California will also encounter the closure of the coast highway at Regent’s Slide. The vast majority of the Big Sur coast remains accessible and open with about 6 miles of closure between the north and south ends of Highway 1 to accommodate work on Regent’s Slide.

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