Hundreds rescued after part of California's Highway 1 collapses in landslide

Hundreds of people were evacuated after a landslide caused portions of California's Highway 1 to collapse, though parts of the road remained closed Monday.

Heavy rain Saturday near Rock Creek Bridge — about 17 miles south of , Calif. — caused chunks of the road's asphalt to fall into the ocean beside the two-lane road, The Associated Press reported.

An estimated 1,600 people were initially stranded as a result of what officials called a slip-out, a spokesperson for California's Transportation Department, known as Caltrans, confirmed to The Hill. Some motorists were forced to sleep in their vehicles overnight Saturday, or go to local hotels opened to visitors, The San Francisco Chronicle reported.

Engineers on Sunday determined travel would be possible on the northbound lane, and two convoys took place Sunday to safely evacuate motorists and their vehicles through the slip-out, Caltrans said in a press release. Starting Monday, there will be convoys at 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. local time, the agency said.

"Anyone who needed to get in or out was able to cross through the slip out," a spokesperson for Caltrans said.

Parts of the highway remained closed Monday, according to Caltrans, and the spokesperson said it is too early to determine when repairs could be completed.

“We want to emphasize that this is a state disaster,” Nicholas Pasculli, Monterey County's head of communications, told SFGate on Sunday.

Crews worked Sunday to stabilize the edge of roadway, and drivers were asked to "avoid all unnecessary travel" in the area, Caltrans said on X, formerly Twitter.

All Big Sur state parks were also impacted by the collapse, including Point Sur, Pfeiffer Big Sur, Julia Pfeiffer Burns, Andrew Molera, and Limekiln, Monterey County said Sunday night.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom's (D) office said it is "coordinating closely" with state agencies to address the issue and thanked the crews working to repair the roadway.