Part of Highway 1 to reopen near Big Sur ‘ahead of schedule,’ Gavin Newsom says. Here’s when

A significant stretch of Highway 1 will reopen near Big Sur ahead of schedule on Friday, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced in a news release Tuesday.

A rockslide barreled through the scenic highway south of Rocky Creek Bridge on March 30, tearing out a portion of the southbound lane and rendering it “impassable,” the release said.

After nearly two months of work, Caltrans will re-open a lane of the highway through the Rocky Creek area on Friday at 6:30 a.m. — eight days ahead of schedule, the release said.

“This portion of Highway 1 will reopen with the use of a 24/7 signalized traffic control,” the release said. “This temporary signal will provide unrestricted public access with one-way alternating traffic in both the north and southbound directions.”

The repairs mean the road will be safe for motorists until Caltrans completes permanent repairs on the site next year, agency spokesman Kevin Drabinski told The Tribune on Tuesday.

Rockslide closed part of Highway 1 near Big Sur

The slip-out occurred March 30 at Rocky Creek, 60 miles north of the border between San Luis Obispo and Monterey counties.

As many as 1,600 people were stranded when a chunk of the highway’s southbound lane tumbled into the ocean.

It was the fourth time the highway closed due to damage in recent months.

The landslide removed about 6 feet of pavement from the southbound lane of the highway, along with “a portion of an unreinforced masonry retaining wall that supported the highway,” the release said.

How Caltrans repaired road at Rocky Creek

To stabilize the southbound lane and preserve the northbound lane, crews installed a total of 115 steel elements in the slope, the release said. Those were covered with shotcrete, or, sprayed concrete, to protect the exposed rock slope.

“This work required Caltrans to close the roadway in both directions at Rocky Creek,” the release said.

Twice-daily convoys escorted people through the slide area during construction.

Caltrans will continue to monitor the site. Permanent repairs for the road are in the design phase, and the project should be completed by spring 2025.

“Crews have been working day and night to quickly repair the damage to Highway 1 caused by recent storms, which has disrupted the lives of individuals living in and around Big Sur — limiting access to the area and hampering tourism,” Newsom said in the release.

Reopening part of the highway will bring “relief and a sense of normalcy back to one of California’s most iconic coastal communities,” he said.

Highway remains closed at other landslide sites

Highway 1 remains closed at three other points due to damage caused by landslides.

The road has been closed since Feb. 8 due to the Dolan Point slide, which is about 30 miles north of the San Luis Obispo-Monterey county line.

Highway 1 also remains closed near the Regent slide, which occurred Feb. 9 less than two miles south of the Dolan slide.

Repairs are ongoing at Paul’s Slide, about six miles south of the Regent Slide and 22 miles north of the county line. That slide hit Jan. 8.