Originally posted by Wikinews.
Wikinews content appears under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 license
except where specified. As these articles are static snapshots of news
items that may be later updated, they may not represent the latest or final
revision of that article, and posted information may be only preliminary.

Part of California highway near Big Sur falls into the sea
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
March 19, 2011
Original URL: http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Part_of_California_highway_near_Big_Sur_falls_into_the_sea



A 40-foot section of scenic  about 12 miles south of  crumbled into the 
on Wednesday, preventing access to the popular tourist area of   from
the north.

The collapse of the southbound lane of the two-lane highway, also known
as the , follows several days of rain. The soil under the northbound
lane is also in danger of giving way. Drivers heading north were blocked
at the ; the rest of the  road has been closed to traffic indefinitely.
A long closure is expected to hurt the tourist business upon which Big
Sur and and the tiny surrounding communities depend.

The   (CHP) said no one was injured.

The section that collapsed is on a curve south of the ,  where the
highway clings to  the scenic , and near the Bixby Creek Bridge,  one of
the "iconic" s that make this stretch of the highway with its dramatic
vistas such a well-known scenic drive.

The cause of the collapse was not apparent as the road surface looked
new, and no seeping water was visible. "It's basically just nature," a
CHP officer  said.

With Highway 1 closed, drivers wishing to access Big Sur from the north
could go inland on   and pass through  the . To return to the coast
drivers must pass over a steep, winding mountainous road. This route
adds at least an hour to the journey.

== Sources == 

* http://news.bostonherald.com/news/national/west/view.bg?articleid=1324146
* http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_17632171?nclick_check=1



.