Big Sur: Highway 1 to reopen 24/7 after slide near Carmel; another stretch still shut

Coastal road-trippers take note: Highway 1 south of Carmel, which was shut by a landslide last month, will reopen to traffic around the clock starting at 8 p.m. Wednesday. It had recently been open only at night. However, the fragile coastal route remains shut at another point south of the Big Sur area.

At Rocky Creek, about 13 miles south of Carmel, the road will reopen 24/7 Wednesday with one-way alternating traffic, according to the California Department of Transportation. Stretches of this part of Highway 1, between Bixby Bridge and Palo Colorado Road, had been shut after a March 16 landslide washed away a chunk of the road.

That’s the good news. The bad news: South of Big Sur, another section of Highway 1 remains closed. The roadway is shut in both directions at Alder Creek, about 35 miles north of the Hearst Castle area. Caltrans said the area is “extremely unstable” and will be shut for at least a month while crews work to remove rocks and debris.

With this closure, drivers trying to access Highway 1 have to travel inland and take Highway 101 north and then Nacimiento-Fergusson Road through the mountains.

For updates on Highway 1 road conditions, visit the Caltrans website (enter “1” under “Check Current Highway Conditions”) or call (888) 836-0866.