hwy 1 work — Tarmo Hannula/The Pajaronian Damage to a Highway 1 bridge caused by a recent levee breach can be seen.

Highway 1 repairs begin

March 24, 2023

WATSONVILLE—Lane closures are in place on Highway 1 where it crosses the Pájaro River to allow crews to repair the storm-damaged bridge.

The work, which got underway Thursday, calls for the closure of one of two southbound lanes of Highway 1 south of Riverside Drive, according to the California Highway Patrol. Additional closure of the northbound lanes may also be necessary.

During different phases of the repairs, travelers can also expect intermittent overnight closures of both southbound lanes. Dates and times for these full closures will be announced in advance.

Overall bridge repairs are expected to be completed by

May 20.

Crews will place slurry and reconstruct the slopes around the bridge supports and foundation piles which were exposed when water flow from an upstream levee breach eroded embankment material.

Tarmo Hannula

Tarmo Hannula has been the lead photographer with The Pajaronian newspaper in Watsonville since 1997. He also reports on a wide range of topics, including police, fire, environment, schools, the arts and events. A fifth generation Californian, Tarmo was born in the Mother Lode of the Sierra (Columbia) and has lived in Santa Cruz County since the late 1970s. He earned a BA from UC Santa Cruz and has traveled to 33 countries.