Closure on Pacific Coast Section 4, major landslide on map 48 - Jan 2021

[amywally]

In January 2021, a section of Highway 1 at Rat Creek (north of Lucia, map 48) collapsed when the cliffside below gave way amid torrential rain. Both the northbound and southbound lanes washed away. The road will be impassable for an undetermined amount of time, at least several months. Check the current status of Highway 1 here: roads.dot.ca.gov

The recommended detour is 147.9 miles long, beginning in Marina and ending in Cambria. Services are limited between King City and Paso Robles. See the detour here: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/35120765. Note that it can be significantly hotter inland than it is on the coast.

EDIT: This post originally included a detour for southbound riders using Nacimiento-Fergusson Road, which we have since learned is closed due to damage from the Dolan fire.

[BarryC]

The recomended SB detour will not work as Nacimiento-Furgusson road has been closed since the Dolan fire last summer and has no scheduled opening date.   

The NB detour will work. 

For southbound travelers the detour used in 2017 would work.  (This is likely the current NB detour backwords)  I personally recomend using the 2017 SB detour but at the summit of Hwy 46 take Santa Rosa Creek Road into Cambria or, if you are in a hurry, taking Old Creek Road into Cayucos.

[staehpj1]

This is a real shame.  It is some of the nicest part of the California coast.   I think I'd either go another year when it is fixed or just stop before the slide.

It looks like you could take a bus from Monterey to Morro Bay or San Simeon, but you'd still miss a lot of the coast that way (about the same amount or a little more).  You'd get to Monterey if that is a plus for you.  Personally, I'd probably just go home from Monterey and try again to do the whole coast another year.

[BarryC]

Although the inland route isn't world class like the closed coastal route, I took it in 2017 and really enjoyed it.  You get an up close view of the "Salad Bowl of the World."

[Daniel.philip]

Thank you for the GPS link from Monterey to Paso Robles, I was plotting a course and was unsure of the roads, they look like small farm roads, which can be incredibly wonderful, or incredibly scary.

[amywally]

UPDATE: Caltrans announced today (Feb. 25, 2021) that major emergency repairs of Highway 1 on the Big Sur Coast at Rat Creek will begin March 1 and that it estimates it will reopen the famed roadway early this summer. https://atascaderonews.com/news/caltrans-announces-emergency-repairs-for-highway-1-at-rat-creek/

[aggie]

According to Caltrans Hwy 1 will be repaired and opened on April 30th. 

[aggie]

The road was opened on April 23 2021.  Some other construction work will continue to improve drainage and other items through the summer.

[amywally]

The highway has fully reopened: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2021/04/24/california-pacific-coast-highway-reopens-section-after-storm-collapse/7366153002/