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John Yerace, a California Highway Patrol Sergeant, was patrolling Highway 1 along Big Sur around 4 p.m. on Thursday when he stopped because part of the road had fallen into the ocean.

“I noticed this section of roadway, specifically the southbound lane, had fallen off toward the ocean,” Yerace said, adding that he notified CalTrans and other agencies before hanging around to monitor the dangerous road conditions and warn other drivers.

By 6:30 a.m. Friday morning, the northbound lane near Mile 30 in Monterey County was gone. The area where both lanes fell into the ocean is referred to as Rat Creek, which is about 15 miles south of Big Sur and about one more mile south of the Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge. The concrete support columns for that bridge were condemned beyond repair in February 2017 after being weakened by landslides. A new 310-ft bridge opened in October of that year to replace the old road.

While the road slippage this week forced a Highway 1 closure, the town of Big Sur remains accessible via Highway 1 from Carmel. It’s perhaps the most dramatic form of destruction caused by a fierce atmospheric river storm this month.

RAT CREEK, CA – January 29: Part of Highway 1 about 15 miles south of Big Sur remains closed after a landslide thrust the road into the Pacific Ocean near Rat Creek, Calif., on Friday, Jan. 29, 2020. (AIO Filmz) 

It’s unknown how long the scenic, two-lane highway will remain closed for repairs, pending Friday’s assessment by Caltrans crews and emergency contractors, according to Kevin Drabinski, a public information officer for Caltrans District 5.

“It’s kind of dramatic when a lane of road goes into the ocean,” Drabinski said. “We’ve got all the professional disciplines out there right now.”

A fierce atmospheric river storm this week washed away a section of Highway 1 along the Big Sur coast, about halfway between Carmel and Cambria.

RAT CREEK, CA – January 29: Part of Highway 1 about 15 miles south of Big Sur remains closed after a landslide thrust the road into the Pacific Ocean near Rat Creek, Calif., on Friday, Jan. 29, 2020. (AIO Filmz) 

It’s unknown how long the scenic, two-lane highway will remain closed for repairs, pending Friday’s assessment by Caltrans crews and emergency contractors, according to Kevin Drabinski, a public information officer for Caltrans District 5.

“It’s kind of dramatic when a lane of road goes into the ocean,” Drabinski said. “We’ve got all the professional disciplines out there right now.”