Highway 9 between Santa Cruz and Felton is scheduled to re-open by 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 1. The winding two-lane road that connects Felton and Santa Cruz has been completely closed about four miles outside Felton since June.
Contractor Gordon N. Ball of Alamo will complete the project to repair a major slip-out that occurred on the road in 2006.
The road was closed all summer long; however, business remained open in downtown Felton.
Cal-Trans officials said the full closure of the road was necessary because of the heavy equipment used to shore up the embankment made the narrow road dangerous for passerby’s like cyclists or walkers.
The repair was to a steep hillside on the downhill side of the road.
Some businesses on Highway 9 in downtown Felton felt the impact from the closure more than others.
The owner of the Big Foot Discovery Museum, Mike Rugg, said the closure nearly put his business under.
“It sucked,” Rugg said. “The summer was terrible because of this.”
Rugg was able to keep his doors open through the summer because locals brought their visitors to the museum to buy souvenirs. Also, Rugg said some campers heading into Henry Cowell state park stopped at the storefront.
“I was surprised that so many people showed up,” Rugg said. “But it was not as many as I would have expected (with the road open). And since school kicked in, it’s become very lonesome.”
To boost the museum’s notoriety, Rugg is holding Big Foot Discovery Day IV Saturday, Oct. 16. He said bigfoot experts and eye-witnesses will be on hand to confirm the existence of the beasts.
“We’re ready to take on the critics,” he said.
Caltrans put up numerous signs in Felton announcing the detour. Included was a large sign on Graham Hill Road that announced that businesses were still open on Highway 9 in Felton that the Felton Business Association requested after some local businesses asked for additional signage.
