Major walkway rail project underway on storm damaged Olive Mill crossing

A major repair project has begun on the Olive Mill overcrossing that had its railings broken apart earlier this year. With tons of boulders, debris and mud hitting the Olive Mill overpass on the morning of January 9th during a storm disaster, the implosion blew the walkway protections apart and some pieces fell to the mud covered highway below. The devastating impact of the debris flow caused a 12 day closure and severe impacts to traffic. Now, the repair plan by Caltrans begins. “And people will figure it out it will cause some congestion but it will be ok,” said Don Michael a local resident while on a three mile walk. He remembers the disaster and the closures well. “Initially they didn’t know what to do so they let you go everywhere and then they realized then they shut everything downs and I was in the area on the far west I was not mandatory evacuated out and so I stayed here so figured another way to go around,” he said The site currently has temporary k-rail barriers where the railing had been and just enough room to walk on both sides. The $1.2 million dollar project will take four months to complete.

It’s a busy spot between Butterfly Beach where the Four Seasons Biltmore Hotel is located and Coast Village Road.

One neighbor is asking drivers to stay calm if they are routed down neighborhood streets.
“I live on this street with kids and I think there is going to be so much more traffic that’s going through there and so I am a little nervous about that, but they have to do what they do,” said Elizabeth Colling.

Some of the work will involve overnight lane closures on the freeway under the over crossing.