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Damage to Highway 1: The road winds along the California coast
Photo: Nic Coury / AP
Hundreds of people in California had to spend part of their Easter weekend on a closed route in bad weather: During a severe storm on Saturday, part of the roadway on Highway 1 collapsed and slid into the Pacific. Some travelers were stuck in cars overnight until emergency services could guide them to safety the next morning.
The damaged road overlooking the Pacific Ocean was closed following the incident in Monterey County near Big Sur. California Gov. Gavin Newsom said his office was working with multiple agencies to repair the damage. The responsible transport authority announced on social networks that in urgent cases travelers would be taken past the point in convoys at two times during the day.
This isn't the first time the California highway has been closed due to weather-related incidents. According to the local news site “SF Gate,” a section of the road has been closed since January last year due to a landslide on the slope. The highway was originally scheduled to reopen in late spring this year - that date could be delayed following the current collapse.
After the incident, several nature parks in the region also announced that they would remain closed until further notice. According to CNN, these include the Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park and the Andrew Molera State Park.
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