Motorists in Big Sur, California, faced a slow crawl along a single lane of Highway 1 on Monday following a large section of the highway collapsing into the ocean due to heavy weekend rains.
As many as 1,600 people were stranded in Big Sur, but most were able to leave when a single lane reopened Sunday night, according to Kevin Drabinski, a spokesperson for the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans).
"We physically have observers on site to put eyes on the condition of the roadway to make sure it's still safe to travel," Drabinski said of the convoys passing through.
The collapse, which occurred near Rocky Creek Bridge about 17 miles south of Monterey, caused traffic to back up for miles in both directions.
Kirk Gafill, manager of Nepenthe restaurant, said about a dozen employees working that day were trapped and had to find accommodations in town.
The Big Sur Lodge opened its conference room to offer some stranded motorists a place to stay, while others spent the night in their vehicles.
Linda Molinari of Hollister, California, recounted sleeping in her boyfriend's van after they went to lunch in Big Sur on Saturday.
"It's amazing to get home, but still bittersweet. You missed a holiday from just trying to go to lunch on a random day," Molinari said.
Another convoy of vehicles was escorted through on Monday afternoon, but motorists were urged to avoid the area. Caltrans announced plans to install concrete barriers for a safe lane and to protect construction workers, with engineers working on stabilizing the roadway's edge. The reopening date remains uncertain.
Highway 1 is known for frequent closures due to collapses, mudflows, and rockslides during severe weather.
Dry conditions are expected for several days, with only a chance of light rain on Thursday, according to Dalton Behringer, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.