May 18, 20023
By Silas Valentino, Travel Editor Sep 27, 2024 - SFGATE
Continuous cracks on a troubled slope along Highway 1 are forcing Caltrans to delay the full reopening of the crucial link between communities on the Central Coast.
In June, Caltrans predicted that the repairs on the Regent’s Slide near the Esalen Institute would finish in “late fall,” reuniting towns like Cambria and San Simeon with Big Sur.
However, in August, Caltrans crews detected new surface cracks in the slope as they were excavating. In the weeks since, the agency observed further land movement and slope cracking. In the face of a shifting coastline, Caltrans announced Friday that Highway 1 will remain disconnected until at least 2025.
“Due to continued cracking occurring at the repair site, a portion of previously damaged roadway located on Highway 1 at Regent’s Slide will not reopen in 2024,” Caltrans wrote in a statement.
Kevin Drabinski, a spokesperson for Caltrans, explained to SFGATE earlier in the week that the big slide keeps shifting as they attempt to fortify the highway before the upcoming winter.
“We’re looking at the horizon for the seasons [to] make a call on determination on whether it makes sense to open earth before it rains,” he said. “What effect will rain have on the mountain? When it’s really wet, we’re not going to be able to get up there.”
But along with the as-yet-undetermined timeline for reopening, Drabinski said, equally important right now is that the general public know that the area is still open for business.
Highway 1 through Big Sur is not fully reopening this year
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