Monterey County officials on Sunday began organizing convoys to drive dozens of tourists and residents stranded along a stretch of Highway 1 near Big Sur that collapsed into the sea during landslide.
About 1,600 tourists and locals were reportedly stranded after Saturday’s landslide damaged part of the southbound lane and forced authorities to close a roughly 1.4-mile stretch of the famous highway between Big Sur and Carmel-by-the-Sea, according to the California Department of Transportation.
In a news release, Caltrans officials said that after some initial assessments, they determined that travel could resume along the northbound track “under close monitoring.”
Two convoys took place on Sunday. Others should follow in the coming days, at 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.
According to Mercury News, about 300 cars were waiting for Sunday’s first convoy, including likely Easter visitors stranded in Big Sur after the highway was closed. A number of people slept in their cars while waiting to return home, according to the media outlet.
Authorities have asked non-essential travelers to stay away from the area. According to a press release, they took the additional step of closing access to all five state parks in the area: Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park, Andrew Molera State Park, Limekiln, Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, and Point Sur State Historic Park. .
The parks will remain closed “to the extent that road conditions permit,” the statement said.
“All camping reservations will be canceled and refunds will be processed,” the release said. “The exact timeline for reopening these parks depends on road repairs. »
It’s the latest setback for the beloved but volatile highway. The region is still struggling to recover from landslides triggered by last year’s very wet winter, which forced the closure of a 12.1-mile section along the Big Sur coast.
Caltrans announced in late March that it had completed its design plan for repairs to the landslide area known as Regent’s Slide, a massive pile of dirt and spoil blocking the road near mile marker 27.8.
The design must still go through the approval process, which is expected to take about 30 days, Caltrans said in a statement. statement. Once work begins, the agency said, it will take about 100 days to complete the work and reopen the highway.
California Daily Newspapers
