1of8In this March 24, 2021, photo provided by the California Department of Transportation, Caltrans construction crews repair a section of Highway 1, along Big Sur, Calif., that was washed away during a winter storm. The highway is expected to reopen by April 30, 2021, because work to repair the huge piece of roadway that crumbled during a storm is nearly two months ahead of schedule, the California Department of Transportation announced Thursday, April 8, 2021. (Caltrans District 5 via AP)APShow MoreShow Less2of8In this April 8, 2021, photo provided by the California Department of Transportation, a Caltrans construction crew repairs a section of Highway 1 along the Pacific Ocean in Big Sur, Calif., that was washed away during a winter storm on Jan. 28, 2021. The stretch of road is expected to reopen by April 30, 2021, because work to repair the huge piece of roadway that crumbled during a storm is nearly two months ahead of schedule, the California Department of Transportation announced Thursday, April 8. (Caltrans District 5 via AP)APShow MoreShow Less
3of84of8In this April 5, 2021, photo provided by the California Department of Transportation, a Caltrans construction crew repairs a section of Highway 1 along the Pacific Ocean in Big Sur, Calif., that was washed away during a winter storm on Jan. 28, 2021. The stretch of road is expected to reopen by April 30, 2021, because work to repair the huge piece of roadway that crumbled during a storm is nearly two months ahead of schedule, the California Department of Transportation announced Thursday, April 8. (Caltrans District 5 via AP)APShow MoreShow Less5of8In this Jan. 29, 2021, photo provided by the California Department of Transportation, a section of Highway 1 along Big Sur, Calif., was washed away during a winter storm. The highway is expected to reopen by April 30, 2021, because work to repair the huge piece of roadway that crumbled during a storm is nearly two months ahead of schedule, the California Department of Transportation announced Thursday, April 8, 2021. (Caltrans District 5 via AP)APShow MoreShow Less
6of87of8This April 5, 2021 photo provided by the California Department of Transportation shows a Caltrans construction crew working on repairing a section of Highway 1 along the Pacific Ocean in Big Sur, Calif., that was washed away during a winter storm on January 28, 2021. Highway 1 along Big Sur is expected to reopen by April 30, 2021, because work to repair a huge piece of roadway that crumbled during a storm is nearly two months ahead of schedule, the California Department of Transportation announced Thursday, April 8, 2021. (Caltrans District 5 via AP)APShow MoreShow Less
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BIG SUR, Calif. (AP) — Highway 1 along Big Sur is expected to reopen by April 30 because work to repair a huge piece of roadway that crumbled during a storm is nearly two months ahead of schedule, the California Department of Transportation announced Thursday.
The scenic highway snaking through California's rugged coastal cliffs has been closed since Jan. 28, when heavy rain triggered a landslide that carried a chunk of roadway into the sea. The washout left a 150-foot (46-meter) gap along the picturesque driving route.
Crews began to fill the canyon below with compacted dirt in early March. They are expected to establish the base of a new road on top of the fill, then pave and stripe it by the end of the month thanks to favorable weather conditions, Caltrans said.
“Reopening Highway 1 at Rat Creek just three months after a washout of this magnitude is great news for residents, recreationalists, business owners, and those who move goods through this region,” Caltrans Director Toks Omishakin said in a statement. “Caltrans has been focused on the emergency work needed to increase the resiliency of this highway section to extreme weather, and the fixes made will allow for safe travel.”
After reopening, crews will replace the main drainage system above the fixed roadway to help withstand future debris flows, rising sea levels and coastal erosion, Caltrans said. They will also work on landscaping and installing guardrails throughout the early summer.
The work was estimated to cost $11.5 million, the agency said.
