Massive Big Sur Landslide Continues To Grow
BIG SUR (CBS SF) – The massive Mud Creek Slide that has dumped tons of debris onto Highway 1 near Big Sur continues to grow.
Caltrans estimated at its start the slide was five football fields wide and jutted out 250 feet into the Pacific.
Now, scientists say the slide has grown by 13 acres over the last several days. That is another 13 acres of rocks, dirt and other debris.
Jim Shivers, a spokesman for Caltrans District 5, said removing the debris and repairing the iconic roadway connecting the Monterey Peninsula with San Simeon could take "approximately one year, but perhaps longer."
But now, Caltrans crews are letting Mother Nature take her course because the slide is simply too dangerous and too unstable.
"First, we have to make sure the site is safe enough for us to be present there," Shivers said last week.
Combined with Paul's Slide 12 miles farther north and the demolition of Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge, the damage from last Winter's storms has created havoc with the region's tourist industry.
