Chunk of scenic Highway 1 crumbles into the Pacific Ocean during storm
Update, Friday:
The damage to the highway has grown, with both lanes of Highway 1 at Rat Creek collapsed.
For more information on the changing situation, check out our story here >>>> See the mudslide that wiped out Highway 1 in Big Sur in dramatic drone video
Original story:
A piece of Highway 1 in Big Sur went tumbling into the ocean during a recent storm.
The Monterey division of California Highway Patrol shared a photo Thursday evening, showing where a portion of the road appeared to have fallen down the hillside due to the heavy deluge of rain that struck the area this week.
Caltrans District 5 spokesman Kevin Drabinski said the agency learned Thursday afternoon that Highway 1 at Rat Creek, about 30 miles north of the San Luis Obispo County line, was hit by a debris flow and part of the roadway was washed away.
About 45 miles of the scenic roadway have been closed since Tuesday in preparation for rain and potential storm impacts.
Drabinksi said Caltrans assessment teams and contractors will be on site Friday morning to assess the situation, and more word on the condition of the roadway is expected that afternoon.
The area has previously been susceptible to mudslides and road damage.
In 2017 a massive mudslide cut off much of the region for more than a year.
Since then, Caltrans and CHP have preemptively shut down portions of the roadway ahead of major winter storms to reduce risk to drivers.
This story was originally published January 28, 2021 at 8:58 PM.
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