Director's Corner

This summer, we are accomplishing amazing things

After 14 months of construction we opened a new stretch of State Route 1 – built on top of the massive Mud Creek slide.

The California Coast has a history of landslides – especially in the last year or two – but the Mud Creek slide was monumental. It dumped 6 million cubic yards of material, moved 75 acres of land and re-shaped the Pacific coastline, adding 15 acres that stretched out to sea. It buried SR-1 nine miles north of the San Luis Obispo/Monterey county line, cutting access to the Big Sur community for residents, business owners and tourists.

This happened three months after a landslide under the Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge damaged a main support column, closing the SR-1 north of Big Sur. For months, the community was virtually inaccessible – unless you had a helicopter. Now, because of Caltrans’ diligence, ingenuity and hard work, tourists and residents have full access to the highway from Los Angeles to San Francisco.

I know Caltrans employees are working harder than ever. This edition of CT News covers the gamut of what our Department does – from snow, mud and dead tree removal, creating new worker safety innovations like the Pothole Patch machine, to rescuing motorists in danger– and it all happens while delivering a slate of projects twice as big as in years past to catch up with decades of unfunded maintenance.

Last year the Governor signed SB 1, the Road Repair and Accountability Act, to restore the purchasing power of the gas tax and provide a stable source of transportation funding with strong accountability measures. SB 1 is generating $5.4 billion a year, split between the state and our local partners to bring our roads, bridges and critical infrastructure up to today’s standards. These dollars double funds available for state highways and local roads, and add substantial new funding for transit and intercity passenger rail. You, and the public, are welcome to visit rebuildingca.ca.gov, to see and learn more about all SB 1 projects on an interactive map.

We have been hard at work since SB 1 passed, starting – and finishing – numerous projects that were originally planned for years down the line. The bulk of our efforts are dedicated to the state’s most pressing transportation challenges – fixing roads, bridges, drainage systems and traffic operating systems to reduce congestion and strengthen our system. So far, we’ve completed work on nearly 20 projects, and awarded or started construction on more than 200 more.

We have a lot more to do, but the work we do is solid and critical. Together, we will meet the challenge SB 1 brings. As we continue to deliver the SB 1 program, please remember to be aware of your surroundings and work safe. Thank you for what you do for the people of California.