On the rugged Big Sur coast, thick fog settled into the curves of Highway 1, curling around a great scar carved into the hillside by a landslide last year.
There, the crisp sea breeze sliced through the dust and gasoline fumes of the construction site where Caltrans is rebuilding a half-mile stretch of the scenic highway at a spot known as Paul’s Slide.
About 22 miles north of the Monterey County line — just above Limekiln State Park — a mudslide dumped heaps of debris onto the highway in January 2023, and that portion of the road has been closed for construction ever since. It’s one of three slides in a six-mile area that has prevented travelers from enjoying the full drive up and down the coast.
