After winter storms pummeled the Bay Area, resulting in the destruction of the Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge on the Big Sur coastline, the iconic stretch of Highway 1 fell victim to yet another unfortunate weather-related snafu. On Saturday, a high mudslide buried the road under a 40-foot layer of rock and dirt.
San Francisco Chronicle reports, “A swath of the hillside gave way in an area called Mud Creek on Saturday night, covering about one-third of a mile (half a kilometer) of road and changing the Big Sur coastline immediately.”
This most recent slide happened about nine miles north of the San Luis Obispo County.
Highway 1 remains closed in both directions at Mud Creek. “The only access from the south to the area between the two slides is via Nacimiento-Fergusson Road. Gorda services, beaches and campgrounds remain open,” reports the San Luis Obispo Times.
The mudslide has also halted any and all Caltrans work in the area.
Can't stop looking at photos of this massive landslide on Highway 1 near Big Sur https://t.co/VL0BEWHOxI pic.twitter.com/x4RJLTah4X
— Jessica Mullins (@Mullin_Around) May 23, 2017
"We've never seen anything like that,” Caltrans spokesperson Colin Jones told the Los Angeles Times.
Caltrans has no estimate for when Highway 1 would reopen through the two slide areas. Most likely the stretch of road will be closed during Memorial Day Weekend.
While no injuries have been reported, this video shows the breadth and severity of the mudslide.
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