BIG SUR – Due to ongoing landslide activity on and around the Regent’s Slide repair site on Highway 1, excavation work there has been halted since Friday. Caltrans engineers are currently assessing the landslide area and determining a timeline for reopening.
“We have installed inclinometers at various locations throughout the area of the new slide,” said Kevin Drabinski, spokesman for Caltrans District 5. “The data from these sensors will provide information over the next few weeks about the nature of the new slide and whether it is continuing to move.”
As workers bulldozed the hillside earlier this month, they noticed cracks on the surface in several places in the excavation area that indicated more landslides were underway, according to the state transportation agency. Caltrans mapped those cracks and concluded that this new landslide would likely spread further and interfere with ongoing work to reopen the road. For the safety of workers, Caltrans halted excavation.
Drabinski said the sensor data will provide important information about how and when Caltrans can resume its excavation work.
“We will evaluate the data that will determine the next steps in the repair process,” he said.
Regent’s Slide – beginning at mile 27.8 – occurred on March 9, and on April 30, workers began removing the landslide material from top to bottom. Due to difficult conditions related to the extreme slope at the site, repairs were expected to be completed by late fall, but new developments in ongoing landslide activity could extend that timeline. Once work on Regent’s Slide is completed, Highway 1 would be opened to direct traffic between Carmel and Cambria.
“Removing the landslide material from above provides the greatest control in this repair,” Drabinski said. “The ultimate goal is to remove all loose landslide material and ensure the stability of the slope above the roadway. Once this repair is complete, we will be able to reopen Highway 1 at this location.”
Currently, visitors from the north can travel to Big Sur, its businesses, and the surrounding area to the northernmost lock-out at Lime Creek (post mile 32.1) just south of the Esalen Institute, while travelers from the communities of Cambria, San Simeon, and the South Coast can continue to travel from Southern California to the southernmost lock-out south of the Vicente Creek Bridge at post mile 25.3.
Between the two turnaround points, there is a 6.8-mile-wide section of Highway 1 that is closed to through traffic due to ongoing repairs to Regent’s Slide.
Regent’s Slide began 450 feet above the roadway, displacing material that swallowed Highway 1 and continued to the beach and ocean below. Although Caltrans has made progress in reopening the roadway, repair efforts have been complicated by the height and steepness of the slope, requiring flexibility and frequent adjustments to repair strategies to ensure the safety of workers on site.
“Due to the height at which work is being carried out and the steepness of the slope, we have stopped work for a short time to ensure the stability of the slope behind the workers’ work site,” said Drabinski.
Crews are using bulldozers at the top of Regent’s Slide, with smaller and more maneuverable spider excavators working the material down the slope. Because of the steep slope, the spider excavators, which are designed to tackle steep terrain, must be tethered to and anchored by the bulldozers above them. Caltrans previously reported that crews had to completely stop work for five days due to movement in the slope before repairs began, but were able to resume debris removal operations soon after. The steep slope at the site requires that repairs proceed with due consideration and caution.
According to Caltrans, the repair work is complex and will eventually include removal of rock material by blasting crews. Due to the ongoing activity, steep slope and unstable material on the roadway, there is no bicyclist or pedestrian access on Highway 1 through Regent’s Slide.
Road information and updates can also be found on Caltrans District 5’s social media platforms: X/Twitter at: @CaltransD5, Facebook at: Caltrans Central Coast (District 5), and Instagram at: Caltrans_D5.
Originally published:
