Caltrans finished repairs to Highway 1 through Big Sur, restoring access between Cambria and Carmel as of noon on Wednesday, according to Gov. Gavin Newsom.
This announcement comes nearly 90 days earlier than the initial opening date, which was projected to be March 30, 2026.
For three years, the scenic cliffside byway was closed for repairs due to damage from two massive landslides in January 2023. Regent’s slide, which occurred in February 2024, overlapped with Paul’s slide that initially closed a portion of the highway, six miles south of Regent’s, from January 2023 to June 2024.
“There are few, if any, more iconic routes not just in California but anywhere in the world,” Caltrans Director Dina El-Tawansy wrote in a press release. “Restoring access for residents and tourists boosts regional economies and reinvigorates the pride and cultural identity associated with one of the most scenic and picturesque roadways on the planet.”
The now-open highway will also reconnect coastal communities to one another and restore the flow of goods this highway has facilitated for nearly a century.
“Highway 1 is more than a road; it is a lifeline for families, small businesses, and visitors. The closure at Regent’s Slide created lasting hardship, cutting off access and threatening the region’s economic stability,” State Senator John Laird wrote in a press release. “Reopening this vital corridor restores jobs, revives local businesses, and reconnects people to their homes and livelihoods.”
How was the cliffside repaired?
Caltrans used remotely-operated bulldozers and excavators, controlled from a distance, on areas of the cliffside where there was heightened geological risk. They also used small, highly maneuverable spider excavators to remove material on extremely steep terrain where standard equipment couldn’t effectively operate.
Over 4,600 steel bars 60-feet in length were drilled into the ground to tie layers of the hillside together in order to reduce the risk of landslides in the future. Daily drone flights, ground surveying, and subsurface monitoring were conducted to monitor slope movement, allowing repair crews to work under safe conditions.