Hwy 1 through Big Sur may be closed for 9 to 12 months

[GrandBob]

From today's (March 10, 2017) Carmel Pine Cone:

"Caltrans officials say it could be nine months to a year before a replacement is built for the doomed Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge -- which means it will also be that long before Highway 1 is accessible for people who want to drive all the way through.

But Kirk Gafill, general manager of Nepenthe restaurant, is warning that the local tourism industry would take a massive hit from such a delay, and that the impact would be felt statewide. Gafill says he's holding out hope that a temporary one-lane bridge can be installed in the near future so tourists can again travel freely up and down the coast.

Meanwhile, the failing bridge will be demolished early next week. Cracks were discovered in it Feb. 12, and it's been slowly falling apart ever since. Located just south of Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park, the bridge crosses a tributary of the Big Sur River.

While Gafill and others are calling for the installation of a temporary bridge, Caltrans spokesperson Susana Cruz said she doesn't believe it's possible -- and will only delay the completion of a permanent bridge.

'How would we work on the bridge and leave room for a lane?' she asked. 'It's nothing we're entertaining -- it's not a feasible fix.'"

 

[KingLlama]

Will be driving that road in a few months....how long of a stretch of Hwy. 1 does this involve?

 

[GrandBob]

Will be driving that road in a few months....how long of a stretch of Hwy. 1 does this involve?

The short answer is that, for all practical purposes, all of the Big Sur coast, from Monterey to Cambria. Unless you want to take a long detour outlined below.

Within a few weeks, all the other slides and blockages should be removed. But even at that point, you basically won't be able to drive Hwy 1 all the way down (or up) the Big Sur coast.

You can drive from Monterey to the town of Big Sur, and couple of miles farther. In Big Sur, you can enjoy the local amenities like the River Inn, Post Ranch Inn, Ventana, etc. But then you'll have to drive back to Monterey. If you want to go south, you'll have to take US 101.

From the south, you can drive the coast all the way up past Cambria, San Simeon, and Gorda, as far as Nepenthe's restaurant. But again, you'll have to turn around and backtrack south.

The one exception is that, from either direction, you can get to the coast via Nacimiento Road. From the north, you'd exit 101 at King City onto Jolon Rd, go through Fort Hunter Liggett to the little settlement of Jolon, and take Mission Rd and then Nacimiento Rd to the coast. From there, you can get as far north as Nepenthe's and the bridge. Or you can then take Hwy 1 all the way south to Cambria, and then to Southern California.

Or, from the south, you'd take US101 north to Bradley, again exit onto Jolon Rd, go through Hunter Liggett to Jolon, to Mission Rd and then Nacimiento Rd, to the coast. Where again you can get to the bridge that's out and turn around, or head to Southern California.

Be aware that Nacimiento Rd is very twisty, switchbacking through the coastal mountains until it hits the coast. It's a beautiful drive, with amazing views down the mountain and out to the sea. But it's much, much longer than just taking US101 between Monterey and Southern California.

Bob

 

[StageTek]

Will be driving that road in a few months....how long of a stretch of Hwy. 1 does this involve?

We just got back from a Hwy 1 trip to Deetjen's. The Pfeiffer Creek Bridge is about a mile north of them. We drove up to the Big Sur Bakery which was as far as we were allowed to drive. As GrandBob says, at that point you have to turn around. It's about 60 miles from Cambria (Green Valley Rd) to the closed bridge if that helps. So if you count that and the 30 miles between Monterey and Big Sur a little more than 90 miles of Hwy 1 is involved.

 

[GrandBob]

We just got back from a Hwy 1 trip to Deetjen's. The Pfeiffer Creek Bridge is about a mile north of them. We drove up to the Big Sur Bakery which was as far as we were allowed to drive. As GrandBob says, at that point you have to turn around. It's about 60 miles from Cambria (Green Valley Rd) to the closed bridge if that helps. So if you count that and the 30 miles between Monterey and Big Sur a little more than 90 miles of Hwy 1 is involved.

Fascinating. Thanks for the live report, StageTek. But how did you do that? CalTrans is still reporting that Hwy 1 is closed all the way from Ragged Point in SLO county, up to Palo Colorado Rd between Carmel and Big Sur; except for local traffic. And I thought that the CHP were checking ID to ensure you're local. Did they open it up in the last couple of days?

Bob