Slope Stabilization Work Continues at Regent’s Slide as Caltrans Targets March 2026 Reopening

Caltrans District 5 said on November 5, 2025, that crews have begun installing cable-net drapery and new monitoring prisms at the Regent’s Slide site as work continues to reopen Highway 1 by the end of March 2026.

Crew is working daily to assess slope conditions and determine safe excavation depths. The slide originated about 450 feet above the roadway.

The Regent’s Slide repairs began on February 9, 2024, and have since led to the closure of Highway 1 in Monterey County.

Most of the 100-mile stretch of Highway 1 between Cambria and Carmel remains open, except for a short closure near the Regent’s Slide area between Esalen Institute and Lucia.

Travelers can still access the historic bridges, waterfalls and restaurants along the Big Sur Coast from Northern California. They can also access sites and communities such as Lucia, Gorda, Ragged Point, San Simeon, and Cambria from Southern California.

The work focuses on slope stabilization, including selective excavation and reinforcement measures designed to limit future rockfalls. 

Crews are advancing the cable-net drapery down the hillside to contain rockfall and safely direct debris away from the roadway. New monitoring prisms have also been installed to measure slope movement and guide excavation and stabilization work. 

Caltrans estimates the project will cost about $82 million in total; roughly $35 million has been approved and spent to date, according to the November 5 update.

Highway Highlights–Nov. 5, 2025

Crews continue progress at Regent’s Slide—installing cable-net drapery to control rockfall and adding new monitoring prisms to track slope movement safely.
🌐https://t.co/ElCeaSZuaR
⚠️#Quickmap at https://t.co/86BJHWuSgc or call 1-800-427-ROAD. pic.twitter.com/xG8waRSUPD

— Caltrans District 5 (@CaltransD5) November 5, 2025

Regent’s Slide Construction Update So Far

October 29, 2025: Crews continued installing shear dowels to anchor the lower bench and began installing the cable-net drapery system.

October 22, 2025: Crews set new anchor points for the drapery and installed approximately 4,443 shear dowels; small “spider” excavators removed loose rock.

October 15, 2025: Drainage maintenance and installation of water bars were completed to divert runoff from the work area.

October 8, 2025: Crews drilled more than 4,000 shear dowels into the slope to stabilize it.

October 1, 2025: Seasonal weather and additional slide activity required adjustments to the project timeline.

According to Caltrans, Highway 1 will reopen to through traffic by the end of March 2026, but the timeline remains conditional on worker safety, weather and any additional slide activity.