logo
Sinkhole Opens in Middle of California Highway

Sinkhole Opens in Middle of California Highway

Newsweek02-06-2025
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Highway 1 in California was partially closed on Sunday after a sinkhole opened up, according to local transportation officials.
Newsweek contacted California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) for additional information via email, outside of standard working hours on Monday.
Why It Matters
Officials warned that the Monday morning commute would be affected as crews worked to repair the road damage caused by the sinkhole.
A sinkhole is an area of ground with no natural external surface drainage. Their size can range from just a few feet to several hundred acres, and depths may span less than a foot to over 100 feet.
Most sinkholes develop gradually, making changes hard to notice, but they can also appear suddenly due to a collapse, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).
What To Know
According to Caltrans, the sinkhole formed on southbound Highway 1 on Sunday near Buena Vista Drive.
The highway's far-left lane was closed following the incident, California Highway Patrol (CHP) said on Sunday, adding that drivers should expect delays in the area and that there was no estimated time for reopening.
Southbound traffic was limited to a single lane roughly half a mile north of Watsonville, according to the Santa Cruz Sentinel.
In an update, CHP said the road's left lane would stay shut down through Sunday night.
Images posted to social media by Caltrans District 5, which serves Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Cruz counties, showed crews working to repair damage caused to the road by the sinkhole.
Images show crews working to repair the road on June 1 in California.
Images show crews working to repair the road on June 1 in California.
Caltrans
What People Are Saying
California Highway Patrol wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on Sunday: "A sinkhole has formed on SB SR-1 southbound near Buena Vista Drive. The far left lane is closed. Expect delays in the area, with no estimated time for reopening."
Caltrans District 5 wrote on X on Sunday: "Ongoing closure of the #1 (left) lane of southbound Hwy. 1 at Buena Vista Dr. near Freedom to remain in effect during morning commute hours on Monday, June 2. Please allow extra travel time thru the corridor. Crews continue with repairs to a sinkhole which formed on Sunday 6/1."
It also said: "Travelers on Southbound Hwy. 1 in Santa Cruz County near Freedom will encounter a closure of the #1 (left) lane at Buena Vista Dr. for emergency road repairs. No estimate for reopening. Please be alert for crews and emergency responders."
What Happens Next?
Caltrans said the closure would remain in effect through morning commute hours on Monday. Travelers were advised to allow extra time to travel through the corridor.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

How ‘corn sweat' is driving up humidity across the US - and yes, even New England
How ‘corn sweat' is driving up humidity across the US - and yes, even New England

Boston Globe

time13 hours ago

  • Boston Globe

How ‘corn sweat' is driving up humidity across the US - and yes, even New England

Advertisement This week's heat dome, which has blanketed the eastern half of the US and the Midwest with intensely hot temperatures by trapping warm air near the surface, was compounded by the presence of corn sweat in the atmosphere. The rotation of this high-pressure system has been driving a southwesterly flow toward New England, picking up that added moisture or corn sweat from the Midwest, and with the help of the west-to-east flow of the jet stream, has been funneling more humidity our way. That moisture-laden air has been pushing up heat index values, making it feel a lot hotter. Take a look at the extra water vapor moving into New England through Friday, amplified by the additional corn sweat from the Corn Belt. Advertisement The progression of additional water vapor pushing over New England, boosted by excessive "corn sweat" from the Midwest. Pivotal Weather Friday's temperatures in New England are Andy Vanloocke, associate professor of agriculture and meteorology at Iowa State University, says the corn plants act like straws between the soil, water, and the atmosphere. 'The water that's evaporating over Iowa right now, a significant portion of it, depending on the weather patterns, 70 to 80 percent will fall again before it exits the Mississippi River Basin,' Vanloocke says. 'But some of it will make its way all the way to Boston before eventually falling out. It may even cycle a few times between the land and the atmosphere on its way over there. 'If you're having a hard time believing that, just think about the amount of smoke you get from a wildfire blowing through thousands of miles,' he says. Corn is the most abundantly produced crop in the United States, and the plant releases water vapor into the atmosphere at one of the fastest rates among all plants. A single acre of corn can add about 4,000 gallons of water per day into the atmosphere, amplifying the moisture content and increasing dew point and humidity, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. And, basically, the higher the temperature is, the more moisture the corn will draw from the ground and release, or transpire, into the atmosphere. Advertisement 'When you have a warm atmosphere with a lot of demand for that water, that leaf area is going to generate a lot of water vapor for the atmosphere,' Vanloocke says. Many experts believe this corn sweat effect has expanded from a rather local event to a more expansive phenomenon due to climate change. Most corn production is located across the Midwest, Plains, and Ohio Valley. USDA Besides corn, Vanloocke said, soybeans are just as prevalent and equally efficient at evapotranspiration. 'We should call it soy sweat as much as we call it corn sweat,' he said. 'There are about as many corn acres as soybean acres out here in the Corn Belt… and soybean uses just about as much water on a day-to-day basis as corn does.' Ken Mahan can be reached at

Magnitude-6.6 earthquake hits South Pacific near Samoa. No damage reported
Magnitude-6.6 earthquake hits South Pacific near Samoa. No damage reported

Hamilton Spectator

time21 hours ago

  • Hamilton Spectator

Magnitude-6.6 earthquake hits South Pacific near Samoa. No damage reported

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — A magnitude-6.6 earthquake struck in the South Pacific near the island nation of Samoa on Friday, but caused no apparent damage. The quake occurred 440 kilometers (273 miles) southwest of the capital Apia at a depth of 314 kilometers (195 miles), the U.S. Geological Survey said. Jarrett Malifa, a staff member at the Samoa Observer news website, said no damage or injury has been reported. Malifa said in a email Samoa Meteorological Services had confirmed there was no tsunami threat. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Honolulu also assessed there was no tsunami threat. Samoa sits on the 'Ring of Fire,' an arc of seismic faults around the Pacific Ocean where earthquakes and volcanoes are common. In 2009, two large earthquakes struck midway between Samoa and American Samoa, a U.S. territory. The earthquakes generated tsunami waves that killed at least 192 people in Samoa, American Samoa and Tonga. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .

Brush fire in Chino Hills forces 71 Freeway closure
Brush fire in Chino Hills forces 71 Freeway closure

CBS News

time2 days ago

  • CBS News

Brush fire in Chino Hills forces 71 Freeway closure

Both sides of the 71 Freeway were closed on Wednesday afternoon in Chino Hills as crews battled a brush fire. The blaze was reported before 2:20 p.m. The California Highway Patrol said all lanes of the 71 Freeway were closed at the Euclid Avenue onramp in Chino Hills. According to Caltrans, the closure caused a traffic backup to the 91 Freeway in Corona on the northbound lanes, and to Pine Avenue on the southbound lanes. The CHP urged travelers to avoid the area. It's not yet clear when the freeway will reopen. No additional details, including acreage, were immediately made available.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store