Highway 1 in Big Sur closed to through-traffic again, following heavy rains.

Just 33 days after the grand reopening of Highway 1 in Big Sur to through traffic, it has closed again.

A 6.8-mile segment of Highway 1 near Regent’s Slide is closed due to debris cleanup resulting from ongoing winter storms, according to Caltrans officials. The closure extends from two miles north of Lucia (in the south) to one mile south of the Esalen Institute (in the north).

“The parameters of the closure are the exact ones we had at Regent’s Slide,” says Caltrans Public Information Officer Kevin Drabinski.

Although the slope above the roadway at Regent’s Slide remains stable, the catchment area at the base of the slope has filled with debris that eroded during recent rains. The debris has overtopped the concrete barriers along the northbound shoulder, allowing rocks and mud to spill onto the highway.

The Big Sur region received significant rainfall over the weekend, according to the National Weather Service, including more than 3 inches on Feb. 16 and more than 7 inches over the past week. Showers and thunderstorms are expected to continue into the night, with wind gusts as high as 33 mph. Rain is anticipated throughout the week, and travelers are advised to use caution.

Crews will begin clearing debris during breaks in the rain. At this time, there is no estimated timeline for a full reopening.

“We've loosened so much material up there, we figured we may get some debris and mud that’ll come down in the rain,” Drabinski says. “We just need a break in the weather to be able to get in there and clean up the debris behind the catchment areas.”