A portion of Highway 1 wiped out by a massive landslide back in the spring will likely not be open to traffic until late summer 2018, Caltrans announced Friday.
Caltrans will utilize the next year or so to build a new road over the landslide, which spilled more than five million cubic yards of dirt and rocks onto the iconic roadway at Mud Creek and into the Pacific Ocean, according to Caltrans.
"The landslide at Mud Creek is one of the largest in California’s history," Caltrans District 5 Director Tim Gubbins said in a statement. "We are working to safely rebuild the road in this complex and unpredictable area. We understand how much this road closure has impacted the counties of San Luis Obispo and Monterey, and we appreciate everyone’s patience and support as we work to open the highway. Caltrans is committed to restoring this vital link to and from Big Sur as quickly and safely as possible."
The new roadway will feature a series of embankments, berms, rocks, netting, culverts and other stabilizing material, Caltrans announced. The project is expected to cost about $40 million.
The expected completion date could be impacted by future weather conditions, Caltrans announced.
