Big Sur washout: 1,600 trapped after Highway 1 collapses 

Highway 1 collapses in this area (Devil's slide, Big Sur, etc) seemingly every other year. CalTrans just keeps rebuilding it. Maybe they should consider routing this section of Hwy 1 further inland, on actual stable land and stop wasting taxpayer money.

I hope Caltrans is monitoring that highway *closely.* I'm 63, and as far back as I can remember, Highway 1 has always had this problem with undermining and erosion.

This California Highway 1 from San Luis Obispo to Monterey is likely the most scenic highway in the state of California. However because of the steep terrain in the area it is very prone to landslides and often needs to be repaired.

Although Highway 1 is a very beautiful drive, it is built on unstable soil.

This is a gorgeous highway to drive, but dang is it scary.

I lived at Big Sur in 1973 and that stretchof 101 washed out 3 times in one month. I have never understood why they don't build an inland highway from Carmel. I used to use a dirt inland road to get from Carmel to Big Sur when there was an obstruction or washout.

Thank god no one was driving over it when it collapsed

I have been on this highway so many times in the past. It was one of my dad’s favorite drives.

Hope everyone gets home safe

Great depiction of situation. Well done story. Thanks from Gainesville Florida down in the swamp.

This is why you keep your gas tank full. You might be stuck in traffic for hours anywhere

Because highways built on the edge of a cliff are always safe...GEEZ...

Why woul living next to the Pacific Ocean, Earth's biggest Ocean--cause "erosion" over time? It must be lack of EV's. (Sarcasm)

This is why you won't catch me without my 3 day bag anywhere.

Like how you guys frame this as another bridge going out. Even thumbnail the bridge...when the washout was 100ft down the road, on the mountainside. Gotta get them views any way you can I guess. 🤷

I hope every one is okay!! Watch the news and listen to travel route news!!

Happens every year.

Ok, maybe it's time we let Mother Nature have her own way and accept Little Sur as a workable option.

Clickbait title. "Thousands trapped! (in traffic)"

I can hardly remember a year when SOME part of the coast hwy didn’t collapse.

Jack Kerouac would be so sad❤😢

trapped? transportation route is temporarily blocked or closed

It's called erosion and it's going to continue forever.

That is unfortunate.

Thank you. I didn't know that.

Absolutely beautiful scenery....

I'm 2 counties north in the Santa Cruz Mts. and they are still working on washouts here in the mountains from LAST winter. The rainy season is brutal on the roads.

It's like the potholes in Detroit ... Ongoing and frustrating

Time for a new re-routed road.

Wow, who would have thought that when you build a highway so close to the coast it would one day fall into the sea?! lmao

We had a fly/drive holiday in 1994 and co-incidentally saw the Stonewall 25th anniversary 'Gay Parade' in San Francisco. (Quite an eye opener).The following day we drove down to San Simion on Highway 1, what a glorious drive. I think the we were told that the road was originally built by convicts during WW11. Hopefully they will get the road repaired soon.

my favourite road in CA. So beautiful! Unfortunately it is very unstable in places. No-one ever seems solve the probs

So "no one is trapped" is what you're saying.

Focus cameraman Wow, a professional too

Used to drive the old highway 1 alot. But, it’s not feasible for a lot of traffic. More for a beautiful, quiet, drive along the creek, through the woods, kind of drive.

Mama nature does not play. Highway one is so beautiful, but has had many issues over the past decade. What to do? Love that space. A wonder of nature

Gotta' love how our society doesn't tolerate inconvenience.

God bless, protection. ❤❤❤

This is why we need high speed trains since yesterday

Most beautiful place

Did you guy's see the sign on the bridge says 1932 I've been right in 1970 in Ft Ord and all of those waves beating on that shore for 92 yrs? In 1970 when I was standing there wandering how abuse can these cliff's take ?????

Can't blame for road for wanting to leave California! Just glad it's heading further west.

Clearly they dont have the capabilities to manage this level of erosion. It seems like an impossible situation.

🧐 Does anyone know if there is an *open* dirt road east of Hwy 1 that will bypass this section? I have an ADV motorbike, and I'm coming down from up north in June and was planning to do Big Sur… I know there are some sections which have old but good roads that that go up into the hills and link back to 1, I just don't know if *this* section is one of those. any knowledge will help would be appreciated 🏍️ :-)

Oh my heart breaks for them😏

They are doing the right thing - reducing traffic and making sure the traffic moves slowly. The slower the traffic, the less stress on the road.

Was it an atmospheric river?

I mean the sign says its nearly 100 years old afterall. And in some places older.

Beautiful coast road, but built long before massive growth in commuting and tourism, and maybe with little consideration of natural coastal erosion and storm damage. Sticking-plaster short term fixes are no good. Radical rethink needed: is there railway further inland? Could commuter road be built alongside, leaving coast-hugging road for lighter tourist traffic?

20 miles of highway with no crossroads? really? i dont believe it.

Like any type of a cliff there is water erosion underneath it will not go away to Rodeway microwave no one should be even standing on it

FYI, don't get the Federal govt involved and it should be up and running again in no time!

IS this above or below Nepenthe?

🙏

From Newsome down, lets let Cali go entirely back to nature.

OK. Highway Department, what have we learned from this episode?

I didn’t drive this weekend

So they're not trapped. Clickbait misleading title

This definitely SUCKS and super scary

What are they trying to do connect this to another bridge going down anything to get somebody to read their news I guess

Big Sur is nice , very nice 👌

In 2016 a lot of money was voted on by the people of California to pay for this very infrastructure. It passed. I can now see the money was spent very wisely. Can’t you see that too? What’s wrong with you?

Errrm... there is one lane open, so *not* trapped. Do better faux!

Why use that thumbnail, views views views right

Trapped? Hardly….stuck for hours

Is there no other way to get into and out of Big Sur, even if it's a long drive?

I hope they have charging stations for those stuck in the traffic.

That area of Highway 1 has a lot of *rugged coastline* and we all know that erosion is not a huge fan of reversing itself. So, I agree with those who say that other measures - beyond patching it up every year or so - must be taken.

..Chewin' on a piece of grass, walkin' down the road Tell me, how long you gonna stay here, Joe? Some people say this town don't look good in snow You don't care, I know Ventura Highway in the sunshine Where the days are longer The nights are stronger than moonshine You're gonna go, I know 'Cause the free wind is blowin' through your hair And the days surround your daylight there Seasons crying no despair Alligator lizards in the air, in the air Wishin' on a falling star, waitin' for the early train Sorry boy, but I've been hit by a purple rain Aw, c'mon Joe, you can always change your name Thanks a lot son, just the same Ventura Highway in the sunshine Where the days are longer The nights are stronger than moonshine You're gonna go, I know 'Cause the free wind is blowin' through your hair And the days surround your daylight there Seasons crying no despair .. 🎶

Did i see a satellite on a satellite. My life is complete.

Can’t they drive east and go around?

Half of the State of California is a Washout Zone once the Subduction Fault starts to Shift! Then they can build a New Coastal Hwy#1!👏

Its been like that for the last 5 months. It was exactly like that 5 months ago AND caltrans were there DESTROYING the road and the hillside all the while hundreds of people were stuck in traffic

Career security - rebuilding Hwy 1 Over and over and over and......

Thanks Gavin! Spend money on America and Americans.

Mother Nature is PISSED OFF at what we have done to her

Whoa, that's unfortunate time & place for multiple slipouts happen along critical stretches, a double whammy stranding a couple thousand folks! Appears that walls of cliffside detached along sections but portend other actions happening. Definitely challenging area to maintain infrastructure, though iconic route & well deserved title because when visit Big Sur & drive along PCH then always remember. While aware of general geography, geology, climate, & environmental factors, but unsure about various parcel details & else, property at risk near that slope, present state of the vegetation, risk, hazard, & catastrophe, ... perhaps reroute while determine how engineer for future risks because those sections already prone to slipouts (any detailed record of occurrence & frequency?), land use & alteration along the slope, amid the canyons, & about the region. Beside undercut by waves then vaster area always encounter mass wasting along with alluvium from Big Sur watershed with a catchment basin ringed by Santa Lucia mountains that has a prominent coastal peak & formidable topography with relatively high slope gradient amid the region that is Monterey county CA. Obviously (to anybody visited or may be aware by interwebs) there are numerous fantastic bridges which transit across canyons, rivers, & creeks, although streams may not readily appear but various precip possible, from atop the mountains to the ocean, water will flow, permeate, & affect the area, as mentioned by the report, present rain further exposing & enhancing the hazards along with the erosion. Stay safe & well.

Plot thickens: did they get separated from there stuff from going hiking OR hiding evidence of a crime they committed. To be continued...

Poor Californians, They Got it sooo rough!

I was just there a few days before this happened but why do they have snow hats on but why do they have hat's and costs on like they're in the middle of a northern winter storm

The speed limit was reduced due to the risk of collapse. Should have just closed the road.

The highway lottery line

Ah the land of dry , rain , mudslides, and wildfires.

The most beautiful place in the world.

Just don't go back to Big Sur - the Thrills

Honey, let's go somewhere else next year.

the correct sollution is lights on both sides of the slide and traffic resumes as normal. Clearly that wont happen

So they're not trapped, they're stuck in traffic 🤣. I'm happy to hear this but annoyed at the title!

😮

That's not CalTrans run the closure.

3 washouts since 2018 at least.

Poor delivery.

Take a good look at where this highway is built. “There’s your problem.” - Adam Savage

Hmm, this is interesting. How would you fix it? One idea is to let traffic use the unaffected lane while repairing the damaged side. But what if that puts too much stress on the rest and causes it to collapse? Is building on a cliff face just inherently problematic? I'm looking for advice from someone with an engineering background on how to tackle this.

Are they important people?

Big Sur is now a Big Mess 😂

This is the 2 trillion dollar infrastructure bill at work. Another major mess up by the Secretary of Transportation.

Amazon delivers. Not to worry.

I don’t grasp why highway #1 is making news - again! I lived in SoCal way back in 1967-68 and it was a problem back then!

They should turn around and