California State Parks Affected by Big Sur Highway 1 Collapse Set Reopening Dates

California’s famous Highway 1 will reopen on Friday, a month after a partial collapse and road slip out near Big Sur forced it to close.

The highway will reopen at 6:30 a.m. on Friday, according to the state’s Governor Gavin Newsom. The road will be subject to one-way alternating traffic for both the northbound and southbound directions.

“Crews have been working day and night to quickly repair the damage to Highway 1 caused by recent storms, which has disrupted the lives of individuals living in and around Big Sur – limiting access to the area and hampering tourism,” Newsom said in a statement. “Thanks to the diligent efforts, traffic will resume eight days ahead of schedule – bringing relief and a sense of normalcy back to one of California’s most iconic coastal communities.”

Newsom also noted the road is reopening more than a week ahead of schedule. 

The road first closed more than a month ago after heavy rains caused a large chunk of road to fall into the ocean. At the time, the damage also forced all state parks in the Big Sur area to temporarily close, according to the California State Parks. 

Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park, Andrew Molera State Park, and Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park have since reopened for day use and will each open to campers with reservations on May 23, according to the state parks’ site. Limekiln State Park remains closed. And while Point Sur State Historic Park is currently closed, tours of the park are expected to resume on May 25, the state parks’ site also noted.

As part of the repairs, crews installed 40 vertical and 75 sub-horizontal steel elements, according to Newsom’s office. A permanent repair is currently being designed and isn’t expected to be completed until spring 2025.

Big Sur is an iconic stretch of the California coast that runs for 90 miles along Highway 1 between Carmel-by-the-Sea and San Simeon. The area is a tourist hotspot along with a road trip and camping favorite.