BIG SUR >> Travelers on Highway 1 will again encounter a full overnight closure at the Rocky Creek slip out repair site this weekend as Caltrans uses the time to get materials to the seawall restoration project at the shoreline below.

On Sunday, starting at 10 p.m., traffic flow will be halted at the location about 12 miles south of Carmel, and will reopen at 6 a.m. Monday morning. Crews will erect a crane that spans both lanes of the roadway and use it to deliver materials over the side and down to the beach below the repair area.

The seawall protects the southern end of Rocky Creek Bridge, and the slope below the recently constructed viaduct, from wave action damage.

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. The repairs include the construction of viaducts under both lanes of the roadway and repairing the seawall below.

The slip out resulted 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.

Caltrans has repaired the southbound lane by constructing a viaduct to support that side of the roadway. The viaduct installation entailed crews drilling and casting reinforced concrete columns to support the weight of the viaduct structure in advance of the installation of girders. The design of the viaduct involved support from the two ends as well as two support columns in the middle, which made for a three-span design. The three girders for the southbound lane — which were installed in mid-December — were placed across three spans, totaling nine concrete girders, ranging from 45 to 65 feet in length. That was followed up by a full overnight closure to allow Caltrans crews to pour the concrete bridge deck for the southbound lane of the Rocky Creek viaduct structure.

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

Highway 1 at the Rocky Creek slip out repair site has had many overnight closures in the past few week to accelerate completion of the northbound viaduct structure. Last weekend, an overnight closure was conducted to pour concrete for the northbound bridge deck that followed the successful installation of six concrete girders about three weeks ago.

Caltrans has also used previous overnight closures to deliver supplies and equipment to the shore below for the seawall restoration project.

The estimated price tag for the repair work at the Rocky Creek slip out is $21 million with final completion of the Rocky Creek viaduct projected to be this summer, dependent on conditions encountered during construction. The contractor for this project is Gordon N. Ball, Inc. of Walnut Creek, CA.

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.