The scenic Highway 1 in California faced a major setback over the Easter weekend as a section of the coastal route collapsed during a storm, causing closures and stranding motorists near Big Sur. The collapse occurred near Rocky Creek Bridge, about 17 miles south of Monterey, sending chunks of asphalt tumbling into the ocean from the southbound side of the two-lane roadway.
Authorities from the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) closed the highway in both directions as engineers assessed the damage. The California Highway Patrol worked on a plan to evacuate stranded motorists from the area, although the exact number of people affected was not disclosed.
By Sunday afternoon, crews determined that travel in the northbound lane was safe, and authorities began escorting motorists around the damaged section. The famous Highway 1 has a history of closures due to collapses, mud flows, and rockslides during severe weather conditions.
The storm that caused the collapse also brought heavy rain to lower elevations and over a foot of snow to Sierra Nevada ski resorts around Lake Tahoe. The storm moved down the California coast, bringing most of the rainfall to the Los Angeles area. It then stalled over Southern California, with showers, thunderstorms, lightning, and damaging winds expected in parts of Santa Barbara, Ventura, and Los Angeles counties until Sunday night or into Monday.