A 90-mile section of California's Highway 1 along the famous Big Sur coast fully reopened on Wednesday after three years of closures and repairs following a series of landslides and a roadway collapse that hampered tourism along the scenic route. The reopening came three months ahead of schedule, with business owners noting that should give travelers plenty of time to plan their spring and summer road trips, per the AP. The highway is famously a must for California visitors traveling between Los Angeles and San Francisco. "Today is a monumental milestone for us," said Colin Twohig, general manager of the Big Sur River Inn. "We're hitting the light at the end of the tunnel after three long years."
The first shutdown came in January 2023, when a series of powerful atmospheric rivers triggered a major landslide. The highway was buried by mud and rocks again in 2024 during another wet winter, and a lane also collapsed down a cliff near the Rocky Creek Bridge. The traffic stoppage between Carmel and Cambria cut off access to Big Sur, an isolated stretch of the state's central coast. What used to be a short drive between the southern and northern sections—with tiny Big Sur Village roughly in the middle—became an eight-hour trek inland and then back toward the seashore.
There were multiple closures at various locations throughout the past three years, and the last stretch that remained shut was a 7-mile span near Lucia, according to the California Department of Transportation, or Caltrans. The agency, which calls Highway 1 the jewel of the state highway system, deployed remotely operated bulldozers and excavators to safely remove tons of debris in steep terrain. Crews then drilled 4,600 steel bars into the slopes in a grid to patch layers of the hillside together and reduce the risk of future slides, the department said. Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the opening on social media, thanking Caltrans for its speedy work in "reviving a vital economic lifeline for local business owners and residents affected by the closure."
California Assemblymember Dawn Addis, whose district includes Big Sur, said the restoration will provide a much-needed fiscal boost to the area. "This turning point will help restore revenue, access to our state parks, support jobs, public safety, and economic stability for many of our residents," she said. Twohig said he looks forward to seeing tourists in cars and RVs back on the road. "When you have a hospitality business, you really rely on the busy season, and when there is no busy season, it can be a hard pill to swallow," he said. "Having that lifeline back is huge."
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