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Motorists crept along one lane of a scenic stretch of California\u2019s iconic Highway 1 on Monday after a giant chunk of it collapsed into the ocean following\u00a0heavy weekend rains<\/a>, stranding as many as 1,600 people in the coastal community of Big Sur.<\/p>\n Convoys of vehicles resumed at 8 a.m. Monday for one lane of the highway, although most of the people trapped in Big Sur were allowed to leave when a single lane was reopened Sunday after being closed overnight, said Kevin Drabinski, a spokesperson for the California Department of Transportation, or CalTrans.<\/p>\n \u201cDuring the time the convoys are passing, we physically have observers on sight to put eyes on the condition of the roadway to make sure it\u2019s still safe to travel,\u201d Drabinski said.<\/p>\n The collapse occurred Saturday near Rocky Creek Bridge about 17 miles (27 kilometers) south of Monterey, and traffic backed up for miles in both directions.<\/p>\n Kirk Gafill, the manager of Nepenthe restaurant in Big Sur, said about a dozen of his employees who were working that day were trapped in town and had to find friends or family members to spend the night with.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s probably true for every business in Big Sur,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n The Big Sur Lodge opened its conference room to offer some trapped motorists a place to stay, while others spent the night in their vehicles.<\/p>\n Linda Molinari of Hollister, California,\u00a0told Fresno\u2019s KFSN-TV<\/a>\u00a0that she and her boyfriend ended up sleeping in his van after they went to lunch in Big Sur on Saturday.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was really hard when the firefighters said, \u2018Oh, you get to sleep here tonight,\u2019\u201d Molinari told the station on Easter Sunday after they returned home. \u201cIt\u2019s amazing to get home, but still bittersweet. You missed a holiday from just trying to go to lunch on a random day.\u201d<\/p>\n Another convoy of vehicles was scheduled for 4 p.m. Monday, but motorists were urged to avoid the area. Drabinski said engineers will focus on stabilizing the edge of the roadway, but it\u2019s not immediately clear when the road will be ready to reopen.<\/p>\n The famous route has seen frequent closures because of collapses, mudflows and rockslides during severe weather.<\/p>\n Road workers are expected to get a break from the heavy rains that fell over the weekend, with dry conditions expected for the next several days and just a chance for light rain on Thursday, said Dalton Behringer, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in the Bay Area.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\nSubscribe to Impact Report, a weekly newsletter on the trends and issues shaping corporate sustainability. Sign up<\/a> for free.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n