Hwy. 101 backs up in Pismo Beach due to downed utility lines
A downed utility pole and wires on Highway 101 temporarily closed both northbound lanes in Pismo Beach on Thursday afternoon, backing up traffic to Arroyo Grande.
At 12:09 p.m., a pole became unrooted and fell onto the highway at the Wadsworth Avenue northbound off-ramp, according to the California Highway Patrol Traffic Incident Information Page.
Utility lines fell on one vehicle that reported the incident, according to the page. The reporting vehicle said a small box truck had hit the lines.
By 12:20 p.m., traffic stopped in both directions, then started up again going southbound, with traffic driving over the lines, the information page said.
At 12:45 p.m., north- and southbound traffic temporarily stopped again due to a car crash, the page said.
By 12:49 p.m., all northbound lanes were closed at Wadsworth Avenue, Caltrans posted on X. Traffic was backed up to Rancho Parkway in Arroyo Grande at the time, as well as onto Highway 1.
The lanes reopened around 1 p.m., according to the Pismo Beach Police Department.
By 1:30 p.m., traffic had begun moving again.
This story was originally published December 18, 2025 at 1:26 PM.
