Across the state, transportation is quietly getting a glow-up: from wildlife overpasses stitching ecosystems back together to high-speed trains slowly taking shape in the Central Valley. Still, one of the most dramatic chapters yet is unfolding up north, where the coast itself is literally “rewriting” the map.
On a remote stretch of Highway 101 in Del Norte County, officials are advancing a billion-dollar plan to bore a tunnel through the redwoods to bypass a collapsing cliffside corridor known as Last Chance Grade.
The proposal, led by the state’s Department of Transportation, comes after decades of emergency repairs and temporary fixes along a route that keeps sliding toward the Pacific, the L.A. Times reports.
California’s $2.5B highway tunnel
The project envisions a 1.1-mile (5808 feet) tunnel cutting through stable ground east of the current 101 highway alignment. Budgeted at roughly $2.5 billion, it would become the longest highway tunnel in California, surpassing the Wawona Tunnel in Yosemite.
The plan recently cleared its final environmental review and, if funded, design work could begin soon, with construction targeted for the early 2030s and opening potentially by 2038 or even 2039.
Last Chance Grade, a stretch that refuses to stay put
The Last Chance Grade is a three-mile segment in Del Norte County, built atop four active landslides. Engineers have spent years bolting the road into place with retaining walls, only to watch sections crack, slide, and deform again.
When the road shuts down, the impact is immediate and extreme, as the alternative route can stretch into an 8-hour, 449-mile detour, effectively isolating coastal communities from the rest of NorCal. That means disrupted access to hospitals, schools, and essential services, especially for towns like Crescent City just to the north.
