Another Section Of California Highway 1 Has Fallen Into The Ocean

Motorists on the Central California coast are enduring a slice of traffic hell after a large chunk of highway collapsed into the Pacific Ocean on Sunday. Delays were reported to be in the hours.

Highway 1 near the area of Big Sur has been slowly eroding for decades and has one of the highest landslide dangers on the West Coast. Following several days of heavy rain, a massive section of the two-lane road gave way over the weekend, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. Thousands of motorists have had to wait hours while crews attempt to rebuild the portion of the highway 100 miles south of San Jose.

Highway 1 has a history of these types of landslides and erosion has been proven to be the main culprit.

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These types of incidents involving the coastal highways of California take weeks to fix as soil engineers have to be dispatched to the scene. Safety reports have to be filed, and repair crews are forced to stand by awaiting results.

Rising sea levels are another theory many have as to the reason behind the frequency of these area roadway collapses. Highway 1 has a history of these types of landslides and erosion has been proven to be the main culprit. Heavy rain also soaks the ground beneath the highway and contributes to the further destruction of this troubled commute zone.

Having lived in Monterey County for two years, I can attest to how sketchy it is driving this stretch of roadway, particularly in the colder, wetter months. No injuries or fatalities have been reported so far in this most recent landslide near Big Sur, California.