Crucial ‘lifeline’ that links to Highway 1 in Big Sur is getting $12.6 million in repairs

Kathe Tanner
·2 min read

A rugged — and often unreliable — road that links Big Sur’s Highway 1 with Highway 101 has $12.6 million of repairs in its future.

U.S. Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D-Carmel Valley) requested the Federal Highway Administration funding to fix the steep, narrow, rocky and often washed-out Nacimiento-Fergusson Road.

According to Panetta’s press release Monday, “sections of the road located in the Los Padres National Forest were damaged by mudslides and flooding during a major storm in the winter of 2021. Many of those same sections of damaged road were located near or in burn scarred areas that were created by the Dolan Fire in 2020.”

Big Sur Fire Chief Matt Harris said in the release that the road “suffered catastrophic damage” during the Dolan Fire and subsequent storms, making it “inaccessible to everyone including Big Sur Fire’s emergency vehicles because of the dangerous conditions.”

On Jan. 5, the U.S. Forest Service announced Nacimiento-Fergusson Road was closed from Highway 1 to the summit, and no through traffic is allowed from the coast to Highway 101.

Panetta has since requested the Emergency Relief for Federally Owned Roads program designate $12.6 million in funds to pay for repairs to and reconstruction of the crucial-link road, according to the release.

“Although Highway 1 is the most beautiful road in the nation, it is also one of the most fragile and unreliable roads due to its frequent shutdowns from slides, floods, fires, and other weather events,” Panetta said in the release. “That’s why Nacimiento-Ferguson Road is often the lifeline for many people who live along the Big Sur coast. Unfortunately, in its current condition, Nacimiento-Ferguson is unusable and needs to be immediately repaired.”

Windy and narrow Nacimiento-Fergusson Road links the Big Sur coast to Highway 101. It’s the only access to the area with the Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge failure and Mud Creek Slide on Highway 1 and had become an alternative spot for campers.
Windy and narrow Nacimiento-Fergusson Road links the Big Sur coast to Highway 101. It’s the only access to the area with the Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge failure and Mud Creek Slide on Highway 1 and had become an alternative spot for campers.

When will link to Highway 1 be fixed?

According to the release, the Federal Highway Administration’s initial workplan indicates the final preliminary design process will be completed by the end of this year, with a final construction completion date of December 2023.

Panetta indicated he’s committed to making sure the project meets those dates, or expedites them, so “this lifeline can be rebuilt and reopened as quickly and safely as possible.”

Panetta added that his staff will meet with the U.S. Forest Service and Federal Highway Administration regularly for updates and will “continue to press the agencies to restore Nacimiento-Fergusson Road as soon as possible.”

The Federal Highway Administration will work with various regulatory agencies, getting water and other permits needed before work can begin. With those permits and approved plans in hand, work can begin under the supervision of federal and state agencies.