A portion of California’s iconic Highway 1, which winds through rugged cliffs along the coast and has long been a highlight for travelers admiring the ocean views, reopened on Wednesday after a years-long closure.
A large section of the road in Big Sur has been cut off due to landslides since 2023, creating challenges for visitors and businesses that rely on tourism.
But now, after years of repair work on the $82.6m project, Highway 1 was slated to reopen on Wednesday afternoon, the San Francisco Chronicle first reported.
“This reopening will bring much-needed relief to small businesses and families in Big Sur and the surrounding communities who have shown remarkable resilience and strength,” Gavin Newsom said in a statement.
“This vital corridor is the gateway to California’s coast and the lifeblood of the Big Sur economy – and today it’s restored.”
The development is a win for the region – and unexpected. The highway was initially set to reopen in March, and last week a “moderate slide” had to be cleared before crews could resume work.
“We are doing everything in our power to return this vital section of roadway to residents, businesses, and travelers who have demonstrated patience and understanding during the repair effort,” Scott Eades, the district 5 director with the California department of transportation (Caltrans), said in September.
The highway’s location on the coast in a geologically active area means that closures have long been a part of its history. There is a longstanding rumor that Highway 1 hasn’t remained fully operational from north to south for more than a year since it first opened to motorists in 1937.
A 75-mile stretch of the Big Sur coastline is one of the most active landslide areas in the western US with more than 1,500 mapped slides, according to the US Geological Survey.
A portion of the highway had been closed since January 2023, when treacherous winter storms battered the state and caused a major landslide. The road was still closed for lengthy repairs when another slide occurred in February 2024. A storm a few months later brought heavy rains and caused part of the roadway to fall into the ocean.
As of September, crews had removed 300,000 cubic yards of material from the highway and expected to haul out another 250,000 cubic yards. Caltrans has utilized “unmanned, remote-controlled equipment” to operate bulldozers and excavators without endangering workers, according to the agency.
Crews worked seven days a week when possible on “one of California’s most challenging slopes”, the agency said in a statement, and used steel reinforcements as long as 60ft to stabilize the hillside.
The reopening will bring relief to the Big Sur community, workers and small businesses that have “endured extraordinary challenges”, state senator John Laird said in a statement, describing the road as a lifeline.
#Californias #Highway #reopens #yearslong #closure #due #landslides #California