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Highway 1: Standing on a road on the edge of the continent has become more dangerous
It's one of the most iconic roads in California, if not the entire country, clinging in many stretches to the edge of the Central Coast's stunning sea cliffs, offering unparalleled views of the Pacific Ocean, verdant forests, and even a high-slip condor, if you're lucky.
But traveling along Highway 1 can be a gamble because it is frequently closed due to landslides and cliff erosion that block the highway and strand people — especially in the Big Sur area.
The latest problem occurred on Saturday, when a piece of the cliff and the southbound lane above it collapsed and fell into the sea. Caltrans closed more than a mile of highway between Big Sur and Carmel-by-the-Sea.
“It's the latest setback for the beloved but volatile highway,” Times reporter Corinne Portell wrote Sunday. “The area is still struggling to recover from landslides caused by last year’s wet winter, which closed a 12.1-mile section along the Big Sur coast.”
The closure initially left an estimated 1,600 tourists and residents stranded. On Monday, Caltrans decided the northbound route was stable enough to get people out. Daily convoys are scheduled to pass through the affected road “under close supervision by engineers,” Caltrans officials said in a news release. The agency said convoys could be canceled based on conditions or increasing wet weather.
Officials also closed several popular state parks along the Monterey County coast: Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park, Andrew Molera State Park, Limekiln State Park, Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, and Point Sur State Historic Park.
It should come as no surprise that a layer of asphalt perched on the edge of sea cliffs would be vulnerable to rain and erosion – especially with successive years of abnormally heavy rainfall.
Caltrans certainly wasn't surprised. It has long evaluated Highway 1 and the rest of the transportation system as part of a plan to improve climate resilience. A scenic view of the iconic Bixby Bridge over Highway 1 even graces the front cover of the public draft of the report, published last September.
“While infrastructure has traditionally been designed to withstand a range of extreme weather events and their frequency, climate change is increasing the intensity, frequency and duration of these events, requiring advanced planning and innovation to adapt to the new norm,” the report said.
In this plan, Caltrans notes that it has prioritized four projects “to address sea level rise and cliff retreat on Highway 1.” Highway 1 is easy to spot on this map showing roads that Caltrans is prioritizing study for climate change adaptation. Most of the stretch between Carmel-by-the-Sea and San Simeon is colorful.
Separate from the Caltrans analyses, a 2022 study published in the journal Geomorphology identified the Big Sur region as one of the most significant “hot spots” of coastal cliff erosion in California.
So what is being done to build resilience to more events like this along Highway 1? I asked Caltrans this question but received no response.
The Climate Resilience Improvement Plan is a bit light on detail but includes several references to enacting “policies and best practices” for engineers working in coastal environments, as well as stormwater management and drainage designs “that take into account long-term changes in rainfall and wildfires.” And floods.” Subsequent soil erosion and ocean tides.
Perhaps a better question is: As climate change fuels more extreme weather events — such as heavy rains and sea level rise that put the state's precarious infrastructure at greater risk — what version of Highway 1 could continue to exist?
I'll let you know if I hear back.
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