In response, Caltrans closed access to Paul’s Slide and a critical section of Highway 1 that begins at Lime Creek on the north end, which is just south of Esalen Institute in Monterey County, and ends on the south side at Ragged Point in San Luis Obispo County. Caltrans workers have been tasked with removing more than 500,000 cubic yards of debris from the slide, and as recently as November, the agency didn’t have a timeline for through traffic to return.
The estimated date of reopening is contingent on Caltrans successfully completing a list of assignments; these include continuing to enhance the slope’s stability, elevating the south end of Paul’s Slide to as much as 60 feet, installing new culverts to flush away water and a final paving of the road.
“Caltrans [is] confident in duration of work necessary to complete the repairs, with less certainty about how winter rains will affect timetable,” the agency wrote, admitting how it doesn’t know what could happen to the highway following a strong El Niño this winter.
