Newsom orders a Highway 1 task force as California prepares for El Niño
Oct. 27, 2026 — Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order creating a Highway 1 Task Force, led by the state transportation and natural resources agencies, to identify vulnerable stretches of the coastal highway and speed preventive work before potential El Niño storms, his office said. The order directs Caltrans to prioritize landslide prevention where practicable. Emergency projects on the Big Sur stretch, about 75 miles of coast between Carmel and Cambria, cost about $312 million from 2020 through 2026, the office said. He also signed a second order on flood preparedness.
The wall: The executive order's text and the task force's deadlines were not included.
Tier: Confirmed (based on the governor's office's release; the corridor's length from KQED)
Sources
- Office of the Governor of California, Governor Newsom orders action to protect Highway 1 and coastal communities ahead of El Niño storms (Oct. 27, 2026)
- KQED, California's Highway 1 fully opens through Big Sur years after major landslides (Jan. 14, 2026)
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