Highway 1 at Rat Creek reopens after mudslide repairs
MONTEREY COUNTY, Calif. - Highway 1 south of Big Sur reopened to drivers on Friday after a portion of the road was washed out during January's heavy storms.
Gov. Gavin Newsom, Congressman Jimmy Panetta, Assemblymember Robert Rivas and Caltrans Director Toks Omishakin attended the reopening ceremony Friday morning.
"This is not just another highway in our highway system. This is not just another roadway in the United States of America. This is Highway One. There ain't anything else like this, anywhere in the world," Gov. Newsom said.
Caltrans said the reopening comes an impressive two months ahead of schedule.
#Caltrans will re-open #Hwy1 at Rat Creek near #BigSur on Friday, April 23 at 12 noon, two months ahead of schedule. This section of roadway was lost in a debris flow Jan. 28. Drainage and guardrail work will continue following the opening. Good work by all.@CaltransD5 pic.twitter.com/2aTsRf2gVk
— Jim Shivers (@PIOJimShivers) April 19, 2021
"Seven days a week no one let up, and that's commitment versus interest. That's the kind of resolve and the resiliency that marks not only this moment, but I think this moment in California's history," said Newsom.
Drone video shared by the Monterey County Sheriff's Office shows the completed work at Rat Creek, a stark contrast to the damage left behind at the end of January.
Experts explained that an atmospheric river brought torrential rain up and down the coast which caused the 150-foot stretch of Highway one to wash away just north of the San Luis Obispo County line.
Caltrans said that road work will continue at the site, but drivers will be able to pass through safely.
