‘Possible sinkhole’ closes part of Highway 1 as atmospheric river storm hits Central Coast

Update, 9:40 p.m.:

Highway 1 has reopened in both directions after briefly closing due to a possible sinkhole Tuesday night, Caltrans said.

The agency said it will “continue to monitor conditions on the roadway with repairs to be scheduled.”

Original story:

A “possible sinkhole” closed part of Highway 1 in Santa Barbara County as an atmospheric river storm hit the Central Coast on Tuesday evening.

According to a Caltrans post on X, the highway was closed from Highway 101 north of Gaviota to Highway 246 near Lompoc.

The incident began around 4:40 p.m. with a report that the bridge on Highway 1 just south of Jalama Road was “giving way” on the southbound side, according to the California Highway Patrol’s traffic incident report page.

Soon after, first responding agencies began the process of closing the road.

As of 8 p.m., Caltrans was inspecting the roadway to assess the damage.

There was no estimated time for re-opening.

The closure comes as an atmospheric river storm dropped heavy rain across much of the Central Coast on Tuesday evening.

Some parts of Santa Barbara County were expected to get as much as 3 inches of rain during the storm, though most of the area would see between 0.75 and 1.5 inches, according to the National Weather Service.

San Luis Obispo County, meanwhile, was under a flood advisory due to heavy rainfall.