Highway 1 near Big Sur reopens after three years of landslide damage
A 90-mile (145-kilometer) section of California’s Highway 1 along the Big Sur coast fully reopened Wednesday after three years of closures and repairs following landslides and a roadway collapse, the Associated Press reported. The reopening arrived around midday, and it marked a return for drivers traveling along the scenic route between Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Officials and business owners said the timing mattered for planning. The reopening came three months ahead of schedule, providing a wider window for spring and summer road trips, according to the AP report.
“Today is a monumental milestone for us,” said Colin Twohig, general manager of the Big Sur River Inn. He added, “We’re hitting the light at the end of the tunnel after three long years.”
Years of closures stretched Big Sur access
The AP report traced the disruption to a January 2023 shutdown when powerful atmospheric rivers triggered a major landslide. The highway was buried again the following year during another wet winter, and a lane collapsed down a cliff near the Rocky Creek Bridge.
During the closures, traffic stopped between Carmel and Cambria. What had typically been a short drive became an eight-hour inland journey and then back toward the coast, with the tiny Big Sur Village located roughly between the northern and southern sections that were cut off.
The report described the area as isolated, with fewer than 2,000 residents, and known for panoramic hiking trails and craggy beaches. It also noted that the late “Tropic of Cancer” author Henry Miller lived in the region for nearly two decades starting in the 1940s, and that there is now a library devoted to his work.
Caltrans repair work and the final reopened span
Multiple closure points existed across the three-year period, with the last shut segment being a 7-mile (11-kilometer) span near Lucia, the report said, citing Caltrans.
Caltrans said it used remotely operated bulldozers and excavators to safely remove tons of debris in steep terrain. The department also said crews drilled 4,600 steel bars into the slopes in a grid to patch layers of the hillside together and reduce the risk of future slides.
Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the opening on social media, thanking Caltrans for speedy work “reviving a vital economic lifeline for local business owners and residents affected by the closure,” according to the AP report.
Impact on local businesses and state parks
Twohig said he expects to see tourists in cars and motorhomes return. He estimated his inn, which has 22 guest rooms along with a restaurant and general store, saw a 20% drop in business during the closure.
He said the closure followed COVID-19 restrictions and described it as a “one-two punch.” The AP report said he said the inn used the downtime to make improvements and to market heavily to entice California residents to visit during off-seasons, adding that “Having that lifeline back is huge.”
Assemblymember Dawn Addis, a Democrat whose district includes Big Sur, said in a statement that the restoration would help restore revenue and access to state parks, support jobs, public safety, and economic stability, the report said.