2,000 motorists stranded after part of California’s highway 1 collapses

Many of those stranded were visitors who were driving through the area over the Easter holiday and had to sleep in temporary shelters, which were at 75% capacity.

A portion of scenic Highway 1 in the Big Sur area of California collapsed Saturday, stranding about 2,000 motorists, mostly tourists, overnight.

Officials with the California Department of Transportation said Sunday that a section of the southbound highway located in the Central Coast would remain closed to the public while crews worked on the affected areas. Large chunks of the road fell into the ocean. The highway, also known as the Pacific Coast Highway, features stretches of rocky cliffs, lush mountains, panoramic beaches and coastal redwood forests.

There were no reported injuries. Caltrans, the agency, did not give an estimate of when it expected to fully reopen the highway.

Officials did not say what led to the collapse, but torrential rain battered the area near Rocky Creek Bridge, which is about 17 miles south of Monterey.

Kevin Drabinski, a spokesperson for Caltrans, said officials determined that the damage was severe enough to close the highway for motorists Saturday afternoon.

“Caltrans became aware that we had lost portion of the southbound lane, and that necessitated a full closure of Highway 1,” Drabinski said.

Drabinski added that by Sunday afternoon some traffic began moving.

Many of those stranded were visitors who were driving through the area over the Easter holiday and had to sleep in temporary shelters, which were at 75 per cent capacity, Pasculli said. Others stayed in local hotels, bed-and-breakfasts and campgrounds, and others slept in their cars, he added.

Another convoy is scheduled for Monday morning in case the crews are not able to reach everyone by Sunday night, he said.

“We’re hoping we can get all the visitors out today. That’s our hope. That’s our goal,” Pasculli said. “Suffice it to say, it’s a holiday weekend. You know, this area is a beautiful area, and people like to come visit.”

Monterey County issued a disaster declaration, and officials were urging people to avoid the highway. “We’re asking everyone to stay away from that area to allow for safe passage of emergency personnel, emergency vehicles and essential workers,” Pasculli said.

An unseasonably cold and vigorous storm system cut through the southwestern Pacific Coast over the weekend, bringing rain, flash flooding and snow to parts of California and elsewhere. A flood warning was in effect Sunday in the San Diego area, as the storm continued to move along the coast before heading inland, forecasters said.