Mexican coastal highway cracks up and slides 300ft down mountainside into sea after earthquake near U.S. border

• A 300-yard section of the Tijuana-Ensenada toll road sunk into the Pacific Ocean on Saturday

• Several small earthquakes shook the area on December 19 and cracks were seen in the lead up to the collapse

• Road might be closed for up to year according to some media reports
  

By Alex Ward
PUBLISHED: 04:24 EST, 30 December 2013 | UPDATED: 15:46 EST, 30 December 2013

Cliff-side cracks: A cement truck driver was rescued from his vehicle after huge section of the Tijuana-Ensenada toll road cracked and slid 300 feet into the Pacific Ocean

A cement truck driver is lucky to be alive after the coastal highway he was driving on in Mexico cracked and sunk some 300 feet down a mountainside into the sea near the U.S. border.
The driver was rescued by heavy machinery before his truck, along with a 300-yard section of the road, which leads to port city Ensenada on the Baja California peninsula, slid into the Pacific Ocean.
While it remains unclear what caused the landslide, fractures in the Tijuana-Ensenada toll road were seen after several small earthquakes ranging from 1.3 to 4.3 in magnitude shook the area on December 19, according to some media reports. By Saturday morning huge cracks appeared in the cliff-side, exacerbated by heavy rain, before it slid into the sea.
The landslide caused gaping holes, one more than 40 feet deep and 200 feet long.

 The collapse occurred about 58 miles south of the American border, closing the scenic road near the San Miguel toll booth.

Some media reports suggest that the road may remain closed for up to a year with vehicles advised to use a smaller, alternate freeway.

 

Mexican coastal highway slides into sea after earthquake

Fault line: Days before the road collapsed, several small earthquakes were recorded in the area and cracks started to appear in the road

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Earthquakes, Rain to Blame for Collapse of Scenic Highway in Mexico

weather.com and Associated Press Published: Dec 30, 2013, 9:06 AM EST

Highway Crumbles into Pieces

MEXICO CITY — Part of a scenic highway on Mexico’s West coast collapsed Saturday after a series of small earthquakes rocked the area.
The highway, popular with tourists, is 58 miles south of the U.S. border and Tijuana. The road leads to the port city of Ensenada, on the Baja California peninsula. Mexican officials say a 300-yard section collapsed and the road fell about 100 feet.

American Forces Network

The highway leads to Ensenada is a popular scenic route for tourists. (American Forces Network)

The road was closed shortly after the collapse. Traffic is now being diverted onto a smaller highway. No one was injured in the collapse.
The Mexican highway agency told the Associated Press that seven small earthquakes, combined with recent heavy rainfall, were to blame for the collapse. The road runs over a known geological fault, according to Mexican officials.

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