A 150-foot swath of scenic Highway 1 broke away from a steep California hillside last week and plummeted into the Pacific Ocean, according to reports.
The collapse happened last Thursday near Big Sur after heavy rains sent trees, boulders, water and mud crashing to the road below.
No vehicle accidents or injuries were reported as the road had already been closed for several days due to the ongoing threat from mudslides.
Somewhere between 5 inches to 10 inches of rain deluged the area on the day of the collapse, according to The New York Times.
California Department of Transportation officials said the ground was weakened by an unseasonably dry winter and the Dolan fire, which ravaged the area last summer, the Times reported.
Crews first discovered a large debris pile and a section of road missing near Rat Creek, about 20 miles from Big Sur, the Times reported.
The same night an emergency construction company was called in to make repairs, but by Friday morning the entire section of highway had completely fallen away.
The collapse left behind a perilous 150-feet void in the road and a “huge V-shaped scar leading down to the ocean,” the Times reported.
“This road is prone to rock fall and slides, and this is just the nature of the highway,” said DOT spokesperson Kevin Drabinski. “We built a road on the edge of a continent, and we have the forces of the hillside and the ocean always at play.”
Drivers were being redirected to U.S. Highway 101, which runs parallel to Highway 1 but 25 miles inland. The detour added considerable commute times, reports said.
Highway 1, a National Scenic Byway, is known for its panoramic views of the Pacific as it winds along the vertiginous cliffs of the California coast. Parts of the historic thoroughfare are sprinkled with restaurants, resorts and hiking trails. It could be weeks at least before the leisurely highway is fixed and reopened.
The repair was estimated to cost at least $5 million.
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