Hwy 1, Big Sur closure update...
http://www.mercurynews.com/2017/08/02/big-sur-caltrans-plans-new-roadway-over-mud-creek-slide/
Big Sur – The landslide that buried a large swath of Highway 1 on the Big Sur coast in May will be the ground on which a new roadway is built.
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Caltrans released plans on Tuesday detailing its initial strategy to expedite the rebuilding and reopening of Highway 1 at Mud Creek, calling for the roadway to be realigned across the landslide.
Jim Shivers, Caltrans spokesperson, said that the agency’s “very experienced team” of geotechnical and engineering personnel have studied the radar assessments and other data to find the correct path to replacing the section of Highway 1 at the slide site.
“This is a very huge undertaking,” said Shivers.
A timeline for construction-through-reopening of the roadway, and anticipated cost details are expected by the end of August, according to Caltrans.
Besides realigning the new roadway across the slide, it will be buttressed with a series of embankments, berms, rocks, netting, culverts and other stabilizing materials according to department engineers and geologists.
“Our staff has been working hard to tackle the weather-related challenges faced by Highway 1,” said Malcolm Dougherty, Caltrans director, in a press release. “We have made tremendous progress on Pfeiffer Canyon, have opened Paul’s Slide, and now we have good news on the slide at Mud Creek. Our goal is to reconnect the areas impacted by the winter storms as quickly and safely as possible.”
Caltrans sent its initial roadway rebuilding plan to various state, local and federal resource agencies last week and will continue to work closely with them and the Big Sur community until the highway is reopened.
When the Mud Creek slide occurred on May 20, about nine miles north of the San Luis Obispo/Monterey county line, it reshaped the California coastline by dumping slide material 600 feet out into the Pacific Ocean, creating 15 acres of new land, making it the largest slide ever along the Big Sur coast.
In the process, a quarter-mile section of Highway 1 was buried under rock and dirt. A total of about 75 acres of land was displaced, including the 15 acres out to sea or 2.4 million yards of slide debris weighing about 4.2 million tons.
According to Caltrans, the plan’s strategy will allow it to rebuild the roadway more quickly and at a lower cost than other alternatives such as structures, a tunnel or major earthwork that places additional fill into the ocean.
“This plan is a win-win for the hard-hit Big Sur community and this pristine coastal environment,” said Tim Gubbins, Caltrans District 5 director. “Our emergency contractor continues working dawn to dusk every day and will continue until we can safely reopen the highway.”
Shivers said John Madonna Construction is the contractor on the Mud Creek slide project.
James Herrera can be reached at 831-726-4344.