If you were planning a road trip on California's iconic Pacific Coast Highway, you may have to change your plans. A series of damaging storms washed away a bridge in Big Sur, cutting the town off not only to tourists but also wreaking havoc on local life, according to a report in the Oregonian.
"California transportation officials condemned the Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge on Feb. 21 when it buckled to the point of near-collapse after taking a beating from winter storms," Jamie Hale reports.
Demolition and reconstruction plans have already begun, but it will likely be closed for one year.
But it is not the only hazard that is closing off portions of the highway.
"[The bridge collapse] means a major detour for travelers heading to the area, one complicated further by other closures along Highway 1 from mud and rock slides caused by an extraordinarily wet winter," says Hale.
Parks in Big Sur also took a beating and many will be closed until the beginning of summer due to clean up.
While tourists may be changing their plans and rerouting for a detour, residents of Big Sur are nearly cut off from much-needed supplies.
[READMORE] READ MORE: California Aims To Change Roadtrips Forever [/READMORE]
"We really buckled down," Doris Jolicoeur, of Deetjen's Big Sur Inn, told The Mercury News. The inn has been rationing food as well as propane to run refrigerators and freezers, she said, as the community switches into survival mode.
For more information on detours and the storm damage, read on here.
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