Rockslide closes 40-mile stretch of California’s Highway 1 near Big Sur

A rockslide over the weekend left a 40-mile stretch of California’s Highway 1 shut down Monday as authorities assess damage done to the road.

The portion of the highway closed ranges from Ragged Point to just south of Big Sur, according to Caltrans, though the road is open between Carmel and Big Sur.

Large and small rocks tumbled down the side of a mountain and through a net meant to catch them onto the highway, according to photos released by Caltrans. There were “dozens of areas of concern” when Caltrans assessed the damage Sunday and that geotechnical engineers will return Monday to inspect, Caltrans said in a release.

The slides ranged from small rocks in the roadway to the most serious incident near Cow Cliffs, where a large rock “breached the containment area.”

“The rockslide is not significant in size with the closure in place to maintain safety and due to changeable conditions,” Caltrans tweeted on Saturday.

The slide came as the Bay Area was pounded by rain Saturday, with the National Weather Service saying that rainfall was heaviest along Highway 1 near Big Sur, where it exceeded 5 inches in higher areas.