Repairs to an iconic section of Highway 1 on California’s Big Sur Coast that washed out in a severe January storm could be complete by this summer if weather permits. The California Dept. of Transportation (Caltrans) awarded an emergency $11.5-million contract to get work started as soon as March 1. The force account project status awarded Jan. 28 in a no-bid move to Arroyo Grande, Calif.-based Papich Construction Co. will charge for actual costs for time and materials plus “specified markups,” says Jim Shivers, spokesperson for Caltrans District 5.
The storm washed out a 150-ft section of the highway after debris from the previous year’s fires flowed down Rat Creek.