California 1 Reopens on a Limited Basis

Both lanes of California 1 reopened on a limited basis south of Big Sur last week after being closed by a landslide during storms in February. But repair work on the scenic seaside route continues to tie up traffic.

Jenny Linzner, spokeswoman for the California Department of Transportation’s local office in San Luis Obispo, said drivers may be delayed up to one hour by construction crews at the site of the landslide, just south of the community of Lucia at a point called Pitkin Curve. Also, the highway is open at that point only from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., when the area can be monitored by crews. Linzner said nearby slopes remain unstable.

As of last week, Caltrans had not announced when California 1 will be fully reopened. Officials were reviewing options for permanent reconstruction, including possibly building a bridge. An alternate route from Southern California to the Big Sur area is to go up U.S. Highway 101 and take the California 68 exit to Monterey, then pick up California 1 southbound.