A portion of scenic Highway 1 in the Big Sur area of California collapsed, leaving about 2,000 motorists, mostly tourists, stranded overnight. The southbound highway, also known as the Pacific Coast Highway, remained closed as officials worked to assess and repair the damage caused by large chunks of the road falling into the ocean. Despite the collapse, there were no reported injuries. Experts are unsure what led to the collapse, but heavy rain in the area near Rocky Creek Bridge may have been a contributing factor. Caltrans officials did not provide a timeline for when the highway would reopen but some traffic was allowed to pass through on Sunday.
Many of those stranded were visitors who had been driving through the area over the Easter holiday weekend. They were forced to sleep in temporary shelters that were at 75 percent capacity, with others staying in local hotels, bed-and-breakfasts, campgrounds, or sleeping in their cars. Emergency management officials in Monterey County sent convoys with police escorts to evacuate people from the affected areas. Another convoy was scheduled for the following morning to ensure all visitors were able to safely leave the area, which was facing a surge of visitors over the holiday weekend.
Monterey County issued a disaster declaration and urged people to stay away from the affected area to allow for the safe passage of emergency personnel, vehicles, and essential workers. An unseasonably cold and vigorous storm system brought rain, flash flooding, and snow to parts of California and elsewhere over the weekend. Flood warnings were in effect in the San Diego area, prompting weather forecasters to caution residents to prepare for hail, strong winds, and a risk of tornadoes. The storm was expected to continue moving along the coast before heading inland.
This is not the first time that sections of California’s Highway 1 have been damaged by landslides and severe weather. In January 2021, a storm caused similar damage to a stretch of the highway, leading to closures due to the threat of mudslides and rockslides. In 2017, torrential rainfalls caused a significant landslide that added 15 acres of coastline along a 20-mile stretch of Big Sur. The highway underwent repairs and reopened a year later. The largest landslide to impact the highway occurred in 1983 at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, further north of the recent collapse in the Big Sur area.
Officials continue to work on repairing the damaged portion of Highway 1 while urging the public to avoid the area. The closure of the highway has disrupted travel plans for many visitors, underscoring the need for routine maintenance and monitoring of the scenic roadway in order to prevent similar incidents in the future. As the region faces ongoing challenges from extreme weather events, the safety and security of motorists and residents remain a top priority for emergency management officials and transportation agencies in California.
