Dolan Fire damaged parts of Highway 1. SLO construction company gets $2 million to fix it
As the Dolan Fire continues to burn near Big Sur, Caltrans is preparing for stormy weather.
As of Wednesday, the Dolan Fire had burned more than 93,000 acres — and created potential threats to crucial infrastructure along Highway 1 that keeps the hillside from burying the road during rainy months.
Caltrans’ District 5, which covers Monterey and San Luis Obispo counties, contracted S. Chaves Construction Inc. of San Luis Obispo for a $2 million project to install emergency drainage measures in the area affected by the Dolan Fire, according to a Caltrans news release.
As of Wednesday, the Dolan Fire had closed Highway 1 from Ragged Point to Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, according to Caltrans.
Caltrans public information officer Kevin Drabinski said that drainage measures, specifically drainage inlets, provide pathways for the hillside debris and water to roll off the cliffs without overwhelming Highway 1. The passageways allow “gravity to take its course” without destroying Highway 1, he said.
Drabinski said Caltrans and S. Chaves Construction will need to evaluate the hundreds of drainage inlets that may have been affected by the Dolan Fire.
“Once a fire has denuded a hillside, you have new concerns about debris flow,” Drabinski said.
The U.S. Forest Service identified drainage infrastructure as a concern several times in incident updates because the passageways can allow the wildfire to pass under Highway 1 to the coastal side of the road.
Firefighters have posted up along Highway 1 for many days, attempting to protect the infrastructure.
Caltrans and S. Chaves Construction will focus on reinforcing existing drainage infrastructure and improving access to drainage inlets that are still intact, according to the news release.
A team of Caltrans engineers will also assess bridges within the Dolan Fire zone look for areas that may need slope scaling due to potential rock slides, the release said.
According to Caltrans, work is slated to begin in early November.
This story was originally published September 9, 2020 at 3:37 PM with the headline "Dolan Fire damaged parts of Highway 1. SLO construction company gets $2 million to fix it."
