2024 Rocky Creek Emergency Viaduct Monterey County 001 PM 60.0

On March 30, 2024, a landslip at Post Mile 60.0 on Highway 1 south of Rocky Creek Bridge in Monterey County, California, undermined the southbound lane, prompting emergency stabilization with horizontal and vertical rock dowels and mesh-reinforced shotcrete. Temporary one-way traffic control has been established using automated signals and railing and will remain in place during permanent construction. The project entails building a 200-foot, three-span viaduct to fully restore two-way traffic and repairing the concrete seawall at the cliff base to safeguard the northern abutment of the future viaduct and the southern abutment of the historic Rocky Creek Bridge. All work is bound by strict environmental regulations due to the site’s inclusion in the Carmel-San Simeon Highway Historic District and the presence of the endangered Smith’s blue butterfly, requiring adherence to seasonal work restrictions from June 1 to September 15 to protect critical life stages. Biological mitigation includes relocating host plants, using only locally sourced seeds to preserve genetic integrity, and implementing a 3:1 habitat compensation ratio with five years of post-construction monitoring. All field activities involving butterfly habitat must be overseen by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service-approved biologists, who must be present during critical operations. Design requirements mandate aesthetic integration with the natural landscape—concrete finishes must match surrounding rock, metal components must be non-reflective and earth-toned, and rock slope protection must use locally quarried stone. The project is administered by Caltrans District 5, with oversight tied to federal authorities under 23 USC 326 and 327, and funded through FHWA-Caltrans agreements. No contract value, pricing details, payment instructions, invoicing methods, or formal FAR clauses are provided in the documentation. The sole point of contact for environmental coordination is Jeremy Sheffield, and the period of performance for permanent construction lacks defined start and end dates, though emergency stabilization was completed on March 30, 2024. All inspections of biological materials occur at the nursery, where items are processed and evaluated under project-specific protocols, and no military or federal packaging, marking, or bar-coding standards apply—only manual labeling by collection area is required. Training on butterfly identification and host plant recognition is mandatory for all field personnel.