California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) officials said in a statement Friday that debris flowing from the hill above the lane “flooded drainage infrastructure, flooded the highway and eroded the road, leading to the total loss of a part of Highway 1 “at Rat Creek, about 15 miles south of Big Sur, a mountainous part of the central coast of the state.
California Highway Patrol Officer John Yerace said he was in the area around 4 p.m. Thursday when he noticed that “this section of road, specifically the southern lane, had fallen into the sea.”
Caltrans crew discovered the debris flow Thursday and issued an emergency contract to Papich Construction in San Luis Obispo County to help with the repairs. At dawn Friday, Caltrans crew members and emergency contractors arrived on the scene and found that both lanes had washed out of the highway.
The damage assessment team will continue to work over the weekend, according to Caltrans’ statement. It is unclear how long the repairs could take and the road will remain closed in the meantime.
Officer Yerace said when he discovered the washed-out road, he remained at the scene to keep motorists safe until he was relieved. He’s back later.
“Some time overnight, before 06:30 this morning, we responded to the scene with the help of Caltrans access and realized that the road was now gone,” he said.
At least 25 structures in Northern California have been damaged due to mudslides and debris caused by a powerful, stormy river storm. Most of the areas affected are where there are scars from previous veld fires.