Highway 1 in Big Sur is among the most beautiful roads on Earth. Most images of it – aside from disaster photos – contain one common element: a bridge. The 1930s-era bridges along Highway 1 have become the artery’s defining feature, but as their concrete railings have deteriorated over time and now require replacement, just how that plays out has become a hot-button topic.
Among the railings in need of replacement, Garrapata Creek Bridge is the first that’s come into the focus of Caltrans. The agency’s recommendations, based on standards adopted in 2016, have run afoul of the Monterey County Planning Commission and the Board of Supervisors – it’s been deemed that they harm the views.
In March 2023, the Planning Commission denied Caltrans’ application for a permit to replace and redesign the railings; Caltrans appealed to the Board of Supervisors, who in turn voted in December to uphold the “intent” of the Planning Commission’s decision – Caltrans was tasked with developing a more refined proposal.
Caltrans submitted a supplemental application with a range of aesthetic options. It’s slated to return to the board for a vote on Tuesday, June 25.
The board also voted to create a working group to review Caltrans’ proposed design alternatives; the group included three Caltrans employees and four county residents or employees. In a ranked voting poll, it went 4-3, with the county representatives wanting to keep it the same.
A county report characterizes the supervisors’ decision as wanting to protect “one of the few celebrated man-made features along Highway 1 in Big Sur Critical Viewshed,” and notes “the precedent-setting nature of this decision, which may impact the consideration of the other historic bridge rail replacements in the Big Sur corridor.”
Pete Hendrix, Caltrans District 5 traffic chief, says if the supervisors deny the appeal, Caltrans is likely to add barriers to take the bridge to one lane for three to 10 years. From Ragged Point to Monastery Beach, he adds, there have been 24 fatalities in vehicular accidents over the past decade.
Martha Diehl, a county planning commissioner who lives near the Garrapata Creek Bridge, has been a leading advocate for keeping the current aesthetic, and thinks Caltrans needs to change its approach to the design – safety matters, but so do looks.
“We’ve all got to help them get out of that box,” she says. Though right now, Caltrans is not budging.