Clean-up efforts continue on roadways, with a hard closure coming for the South Coast of Big Sur.

 It could be weeks or even months before living conditions and traffic routes return to normal in Monterey County.  

The water levels in the Salinas River appear to be receding, with a forecast showing the peak has passed at Spreckels. Evacuation orders are being lifted slowly, but many residents are still not cleared to return to their homes, including in Pajaro.  

The timeline to return to everyday traffic routines will take some time, according to county and state officials during a press briefing Friday, March 17.

County Public Works will be reopening Chualar River Road, a significant connector on the Highway 101 corridor, as early as the end of the day Friday, March 17, County Public Works Director Randell Ishii told reporters. Because one lane has been undermined, it will operate with a temporary traffic signal for now, with one-way traffic only.

Down the coast in Big Sur, a slide near Gorda is continuing to move, and Caltrans has issued a hard closure of Highway 1 just north of Gorda. "We fear that it might not be passable after today," Caltrans spokesperson Kevin Drabinski said. 

Big Sur residents north of the slide were advised to make their way south if they needed to before 4pm Friday, as there is no definite timeline for a reopening. 

Throughout the county, over a dozen roads like Salinas Road and Arroyo Seco Road remain closed due to storm damage, flooding and debris. 

In Pajaro, clearing the roads is a county Public Works priority to enable damage assessment crews to get in.  

“There is debris in roadways, so crews are working with contractors for main roads like Salinas Road, and are getting to the side streets,” Ishii said. “We are making good progress, but there’s still more work to be done, like removing tires and things that come with the flood in addition to the debris.”

According to Brian Azevedo with the county Environmental Health Bureau, once roads are clear, entities like health and building inspectors and PG&E can get onto the scene. 

As of Friday, March 17, no county teams have been deployed to begin the actual damage assessments, which is required before a green light can be given to residents waiting to return home to Pajaro. 

“We do not have an estimated timeline,” Azevedo said during the briefing. “Once we do the assessments, we’ll be able to provide those clearances.”