Highway 1 has been restored for clear driving as far as 62 miles south of Carmel after reopening the Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge, Caltrans announced Oct. 13. However, the road is still blocked from the south due to the massive Mud Creek Slide that buried the highway in May.
The closure of Highway 1 has taken its toll on the Central Coast’s outdoor community. Front Porch organizes outdoor trips each year. Front Porch intern and trip leader Ryan Joslyn said he’s excited that progress has been made on the road.
“Big Sur is one of our favorite spots to go,” Joslyn said. “So we’re stoked about the possibility of getting back out there.”
To drive all the way through Big Sur, Caltrans encourages drivers to take Nacimiento-Fergusson Road around the Mud Creek Slide. Joslyn said these detours have caused him to change plans to visit Big Sur.
“We unfortunately had to cancel a camping trip that we do every year since we can’t access it from the south,” he said.
It could still be a while before southern access to Big Sur is possible. According to Caltrans, the section of road affected by the Mud Creek Slide is slated to reopen late in the summer of 2018. Restoration of the road where the coastline has been reshaped is estimated to cost $40 million.