Starting Oct. 13, Drive California's Highway 1 from Carmel to Big Sur Again

With the completion of the new Pfeiffer Creek Bridge in Big Sur, California, a key portion of the state's spectacularly scenic Highway 1 is set to reopen on October 13. 

The original bridge had to be demolished in March after damage caused by heavy rains. That cut Big Sur in two and made it impossible for drivers to complete the rugged central coast route that starts in Carmel—one of the country's great road trips.

Though the bridge will now help you traverse more of Highway 1, you still can't drive the whole thing, thanks to a huge landslide at Mud Creek, south of Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park, on May 20. 

Repairing the damage caused there by 5 million cubic yards of debris falling onto the road is expected to cost $40 million and won't be complete, according to the estimates of state transportation officials, until summer 2018.