Scenic route through Big Sur reopens

Closed by storm damage and slides for three years, Highway 1 is fixed and fully back.

- BY GRACE TOOHEY

MYUNG J. CHUN Los Angeles Times

HIGHWAY 1 between Lucia and Lime Creek had been closed for three years to repair the Regent's Slide.

First, it was a series of strong atmospheric rivers that set off a troublesome landslide in January 2023, again splitting up the world-famous drive along Big Sur’s iconic coastline.

Then, a second winter of drenching storms triggered two more slides, including one that buried another section of California’s Highway 1 under 300,000 cubic yards of dirt, rock and debris.

To make matters worse, weeks later Mother Nature appeared to take a bite out of a cliffside lane near the Rocky Creek Bridge.

But now, for the first time in three years, the coastal two-lane highway is completely open for an uninterrupted drive of the roughly 100 miles between Carmel and Cambria.

“This vital corridor is the gateway to California’s coast and the lifeblood of the Big Sur economy — and today it’s restored,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement, Wednesday announcing the reopening. He thanked crews for helping pull off the early completion of extensive repair work that the California Department of Transportation had initially estimated wouldn’t be finished until March.

“This will be a return to normalcy,” said Ryne Leuzinger, chair of the board of directors for the Big Sur Community Assn., calling the reopening a reunification of north and south Big Sur and a much-needed boost for local businesses.

“2026 will be a really nice time to visit Big Sur.”