Caltrans: active Big Sur landslide progressing; no reopening date for Highway 1

Caltrans staff told the Monterey County Byways Committee that a highly active landslide north of the closure remains unpredictable and that there is currently no estimate for reopening Highway 1.

Caltrans staff described operations that began a year earlier and said the site is producing large boulders and slide material that make conventional haul‑out approaches unsafe. The agency built an access bench and is using a top‑down excavation strategy while monitoring movement with surveyors, drones and instruments. “There is no date of opening at this point,” a Caltrans representative said, adding that work is weather‑dependent and that monitoring often determines whether excavation can resume on a given day.

Caltrans described a sequence of ongoing risks: secondary slides above the initial failure, slides within slides, and areas that can move more than a foot per day. The agency said it meets regularly with geotechnical engineers and resource agencies and that weekly stakeholder briefings continue. Caltrans staff said they have evaluated options including use of explosives for rock removal but that explosives have not been found broadly feasible for the unstable materials now moving at the site.

The agency outlined operational practices: building a bench to access the slide head, using heavy equipment to push material to the edge and retreating for monitoring, and sequencing work around weather. Staff said monitoring occurs multiple times per day, with drone flights and land surveys, and that teams re‑engage only when conditions indicate it is safe.

Committee members raised the economic impact on businesses and asked about reopening projections. Caltrans staff said local businesses have reported revenue declines—one estimate offered during the meeting was 70–80% down from typical levels in some cases—but added that reopening timing cannot be reliably forecast because the slide continues to evolve.

Caltrans encouraged stakeholders to stay subscribed to media and social media updates and said the agency continues to convene a stakeholder group every two to three weeks to share updates and coordinate messaging. The committee did not direct new actions or votes but requested continued regular briefings and clearer distribution of updates through chambers of commerce and tourism partners.

Ending: Caltrans staff said excavation and monitoring will continue and that any meaningful reopening estimate will depend on several weeks of weather, excavation and monitoring results; no reopening date was offered during the meeting.