Highway 1 at Mud Creek will open sooner than expected. The road just south of Gorda was wiped out by a massive landslide in May of 2017.
CalTrans moved up the date to reopen this section of Highway 1 from mid-September to late July.
A relatively mild winter meant little rain and that’s been good for construction crews. They’re building a ¼ mile of new roadway on top of the slide.
“Anytime it rained, which it didn't rain lots, we stopped work. And overnight work was totally cancelled because we have to be able to see what we're working on," says CalTrans Spokesperson Susan Cruz. "So it allowed us to really make a lot of progress and our crews to be vigilant.”
It’s been more than a year since Highway 1 has been closed right near the border of Monterey and San Luis Obispo Counties.
That has kept tourists from completing the scenic drive on Highway 1. CalTrans has active signs warning of the closure. Still, Cruz says people drive up to the roadblocks on the north and south every day.
“They’re disappointed they can't make it all the way through, but there's still a lot to see. The north has really the most scenic area. The south has like the curviest area. But once this opens then it will be the beautiful trek that people like going, you know, the San Francisco to L.A or San Diego trek,” Cruz says.
If Highway 1 opens as planned at the end of July, roadwork and intermittent closures will continue for several months. According to CalTrans, the construction work will a little cost more than their original estimate $40 million.
