Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge in Big Sur cracked beyond repair by rains, must be replaced

A Big Sur bridge on Highway 1 is the latest victim of this season's brutal rainy season.

The Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge has multiple cracks in one of its support columns and and has been closed to traffic since Feb. 15. Caltrans announced after a bridge inspection on Tuesday that the structure is beyond repair, and it will take six months or more to build a new one.

"Due to extreme safety concerns and the bridge's dynamic instability, everyone needs to stay clear and not get within 100 feet of either side of the bridge," a statement from the government agency reads.

The closure means travelers can no longer make the complete road-trip along California's scenic Highway 1. Motorists may now only travel south on State Route 1 from Carmel to just south of Palo Colorado in Monterey County and north from Cambria to Ragged Point in San Luis Obispo County.

Caltrans has declared the cracked Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge in Big Sur beyond repair. Caltrans has declared the cracked Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge in Big Sur beyond repair. Photo: Kodiak Greenwood Photo: Kodiak Greenwood Image 1 of / 42 Caption Close Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge in Big Sur cracked beyond repair by rains, must be replaced 1 / 42 Back to Gallery

The problem began when heavy rains in the region caused landslides below the bridge; an entire hillside is slumping and sheared off where the support column on the north end of the bridge is anchored.

"The soil and slide material coming away from the base of the column created this movement of the bridge," explained Caltrans spokesperson Jim Shivers. "The bridge moved something like six to seven inches over the past week or so. We can see some cracks on the structure itself. I can't really state in what direction it may be moving. We know the structure as a whole is moving and we know this has caused the bridge to become uneven in some places."

Here are a few pics of the damage to the Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge in Big Sur. Damage due to slumping hill side from excessive rain. #castorm pic.twitter.com/oge0IzrZOM — NWS Bay Area (@NWSBayArea) February 22, 2017

Caltrans geotechnical and bridge experts from around the state are conducting drilling investigations in the soil and working on a plan to replace the bridge. It's unknown at this point how the existing structure will be demolished.