Chunk of California's scenic Highway 1 collapses in storm stranding motorists

Motorists have been urged to avoid California's Highway 1 after a section of the scenic route collapsed during an Easter weekend storm, forcing road closures and stranding motorists near Big Sur.

The collapse occurred amid heavy rain on Saturday afternoon near Rocky Creek Bridge about 17 miles south of Monterey, sending chunks of asphalt tumbling into the ocean from the southbound side of the two-lane road.

The highway was closed in both directions in the mountainous area of California's central coast as engineers assessed the damage, said the state Department of Transportation, or Caltrans.

"We are working on a plan to get motorists evacuated from the area," the California Highway Patrol said.

Around noon on Sunday, crews had determined that travel in the northbound lane was safe, and authorities began periodically escorting motorists around the damaged section.

About 300 cars were waiting to travel northbound when officials led the first convoy through the area, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

Some stranded motorists had slept in their cars overnight while others sheltered at the nearby Big Sur Lodge, the newspaper said.

Caltrans spokesperson Kevin Drabinski said periodic convoys would continue over the coming days as crews shore up the highway, which had other closures because of rocks and debris in lanes. He urged people to avoid the area.

The famous route has seen frequent closures because of collapses, mud flows and rockslides during severe weather.

The slow-moving storm dumped heavy rain at lower elevations and more than a foot of snow at Sierra Nevada ski resorts around Lake Tahoe.

Ryan Kittell, a National Weather Service meteorologist, said the storm system was typical for March.