The Big Sur we all dream about : Why some residents are delighted that Highway 1 collapsed
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Rat Creek, Big Sur, Calif., Jan. 31, 2021. Highway 1.Kodiak Greenwood
In late January, an atmospheric river dumped heavy rains over the Dolan Fire scar, triggering a debris flow in Big Sur that overwhelmed drainage infrastructure and carried a giant chunk of Highway 1 thousands of feet down the cliff and into the sea. The dramatic slide left behind a 150-foot chasm where the road once was at mile marker 30, another beautiful stretch of California land reclaimed by the elements.
Friends and family members living on opposite sides of the hole were separated. Residents living to the south were cut off from basic services, schools and jobs in the north. The postmaster had to start going the long way around, as did angry tourists attempting to visit from or return to LA.
23-mile stretch of California coastal highway will be closed for months
Christopher Reynolds and Erin B. Logan, Los Angeles Times
Feb. 15, 2021
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In this photo provided by Caltrans, a section of Highway 1 is collapsed following a heavy rainstorm near Big Sur, Calif., on Friday, Jan. 29, 2021. (Caltrans via AP)Caltrans via Associated Press
LOS ANGELES Caltrans officials say landslide repairs will keep Highway 1 south of Big Sur closed for months, rewriting travel plans for anyone who had been hoping to make a coastal road trip from Southern California in early spring.
Beyond that, “It is too early to establish a timeline,” Caltrans spokesman Kevin Drabinski said. Though Monterey County officials partially lifted a storm-related evacuation order in the area last week, the debris flow in some places “is still active.”