A Google Maps image of the Torre Canyon Bridge on Hwy 1 between Pfeiffer State Park and Loma Vista. Caltrans is setting up traffic controls through the area to cleanup debris in the wake of the Timber Fire. Google Maps image.
Caltrans is beginning some cleanup work along Hwy 1 in Monterey County after the Timber Fire tore through the Los Padres National Forest in August, setting up a third set of traffic controls on the heavily traveled scenic highway.
Starting Oct. 13, Caltrans said in a news release, “travelers will encounter daytime 1-way traffic control on Highway 1 near Torre Canyon Bridge.
“Crews will remove rocks and brush from slopes above the highway as part of post-fire slope stabilization efforts.”
The traffic controls will be operating Mondays-Saturdays, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The cleanup work is expected to last for about 5 weeks.
Torre Canyon Bridge is located on a hairpin turn a few miles north of Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park and south of Loma Vista.
This latest traffic control site increases the current number of work zones on Hwy 1 to three, after the roadway was closed for about 2 years as crews repaired the Regents Slide, a 450-foot tall, massive landslide that occurred in February 2024 and cost over $32 million to repair.
The roadway was completely open to through traffic for just a few weeks after the Regents Slide work was completed earlier this year, before rains again caused Caltrans to close parts of the highway to clear debris that cascaded downslope to the road surface.
The troublesome highway, among the most famous and scenic stretches of road in the entire nation has almost annually sustained extensive damage from landslides cutting off Big Sur and other popular State parks, beach camping and recreational areas.
Hwy 1 is also a major tourism attraction for San Luis Obispo County, in particular the tourist destinations of the North Coast — Cambria, San Simeon, Cayucos and Morro Bay. When open, it’s estimated some 2 million people a year travel Hwy 1 but when the highway gets closed, the local economies can take a big hit.
Caltrans said message and directional signs are set up to alert travelers in advance of the areas under traffic control. You may experience delays of up to 20 minutes.
Road information and updates can also be found on Caltrans Dist. 5 social media platforms: on X at: @CaltransD5; Facebook at: Caltrans Central Coast (District 5); and Instagram at: Caltrans_D5.
