The collapsed portion of the highway, stretching for more than the eye can see, was caused by heavy rainstorms last week. The road began to give way on December 20 and, by December 26, it began to look like in the adjacent photo.
According to Caltrans spokeswoman Shelli Lombardo, the extensive damage to the road means that Highway 330 will have no chance of getting reopened before the end of the winter. With it, the nearby Highway 18 was also closed due to the damage.
“State Route 330 will remain closed possibly through the winter due to damage sustained during recent storm events,” Shelli Lombardo was quoted as saying by LA Times.
“If you look up to the side of the mountain, the slope slid; and as a result of that, the road buckled. This has happened on the mountain before, and we’ve had to wait all winter till the mountain dried out and we could fix the road.”
Those planning a trip to Big Bear for the winter holidays will be rerouted onto State Route 38 through Redlands. Currently, geologists are working on a plan, based on the surveys they've conducted, which will lead to the repair of the road.
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