Overview
- Caltrans removed barricades at noon Wednesday, reopening uninterrupted travel between Carmel and Cambria for the first time in three years.
- The final blockade was a 6.8–7 mile stretch at Regent’s Slide near Lucia, completed ahead of an initial late‑March target.
- Repairs included remote‑controlled heavy equipment, thousands of steel bars drilled up to about 60 feet, mesh netting, concrete reinforcement, and continuous slope monitoring.
- Crews cleared roughly 6,000 cubic yards of debris and reported no major worker injuries, with Regent’s Slide work estimated at about $60 million.
- Officials warn winter storms may still prompt temporary closures as businesses along the coast see immediate customer rebounds after prolonged losses.