Section of Highway 1 Collapses into Ocean

The southbound lane of Highway 1 is shown after sliding down the hillside on Wednesday south of Big Sur (AP Photo/Monterey Herald, Orville Myers)

A section of Highway 1 collapsed into the ocean between Big Sur and Carmel on the Central Coast on Thursday. The section of road was closed on Wednesday following a landslide before a 40-foot chunk of it crumbled into the Pacific south of Rocky Creek Bridge.

The two-mile stretch of highway remains closed indefinitely. Businesses in Big Sur remain open but it will take about a month to reopen the road, according to CalTrans -- so hold off on any northbound Highway 1 joyrides past Big Sur.