Motorists creep along 1 lane after part of California’s iconic Highway 1 collapses
BIG SUR, California — Motorists crawled along a lane of a scenic stretch of California’s iconic Highway 1 on Monday after a giant section of it collapsed into the ocean following heavy weekend rains, leaving as many as 1,600 people stranded in the small coastal community of Big Sur.
Vehicle convoys resumed one lane of the highway at 8 a.m. Monday, although most people stuck in Big Sur were allowed to leave when a single lane reopened Sunday after being closed overnight, said Kevin Drabinski, a spokesman from the California Department. of transportation, or CalTrans.
“During the time the convoys pass through, we have physical observers monitoring roadway conditions to ensure it is still safe to travel,” Drabinski said.
The collapse occurred Saturday near the Rocky Creek Bridge, about 17 miles (27 kilometers) south of Monterey, and traffic was at a standstill for miles in both directions.
Kirk Gafill, the manager of Nepenthe restaurant in Big Sur, said a dozen of his employees who were working that day were stuck in town and had to find friends or relatives to spend the night.
“That’s probably true of every business in Big Sur,” he said.
The Big Sur Lodge opened its conference room to provide some stuck motorists with a place to stay, while others spent the night in their vehicles.
Linda Molinari of Hollister, California, told Fresno’s KFSN-TV that she and her boyfriend slept in his van Saturday after going to lunch in Big Sur.
“It was very difficult when the firefighters said, ‘Oh, you can sleep here tonight,’” Molinari told the station after they got home on Easter Sunday. “It’s great to come home, but it’s still bittersweet. You missed a vacation because you tried to go to lunch on a random day.
Another convoy of vehicles was scheduled to arrive at 4pm on Monday, but motorists were urged to avoid the area. Drabinski said engineers will focus on stabilizing the edge of the roadway, but it is not immediately clear when the road will be ready to reopen.
The famous route is regularly closed due to cave-ins, mudslides and landslides during severe weather.
Road workers are expected to get a break from the heavy rains that fell this weekend, with dry conditions expected in the coming days and only a chance of light rain on Thursday, said Dalton Behringer, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in the United States. Bay area.