Bridge Failure Creates New Reality for Residents

>> YOUR LINK HERE: ___ http://youtube.com/watch?v=N9iRsuhK4hc

(21 Mar 2017) THERE'S NOTHING QUITE LIKE DRIVING ALONG THE CALIFORNIA COASTLINE ON ICONIC HIGHWAY ONE. • BUT DRIVERS ARE GETTING A RUDE WELCOME WHEN THEY REACH THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE TOURIST TOWN OF BIG SUR...THE ONLY BRIDGE LEADING IN...IS OUT. • SOUNDBITE Shelby O'Hara, Visitor • We were trying to drive down the coast back to San Diego, heard that Big Sur was really cool to drive through, very scenic, so we're a little disappointed. • THE PFEIFFER CANYON BRIDGE PARTIALLY COLLAPSED LAST MONTH AFTER STORMS CAUSED A MAJOR MUDSLIDE. • SOUNDBITE Neil Weller, Bridge Construction Engineer: • This big land mass, which goes up the hill, slid down this canyon, which this column is now stuck in right now. Talking to other bridge people in the state, they've never seen this type of failure. An actual column being displaced a few feet causing the bridge to fall. That's kind of unheard of. • AFTER CREWS DEMOLISH THE BRIDGE, ENGINEERS SAY IT'LL TAKE AT LEAST NINE MONTHS TO BUILD A NEW ONE... • THE MAIN WAY TO CROSS THE CANYON NOW IS IN ONE OF THESE. • YOU CAN SEE WHY IT'S SO CHALLENGING FOR CREWS WORKING IN THE MOUNTAINOUS LANDSCAPE AND FOR RESIDENTS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BRIDGE. • SOUNDBITE Carissa Chappellet, Big Sur Resident • Really desperate, not knowing where their next food supply is coming from. So there's been that and there's the fact that the road is closed and there's about four hundred of us stuck in this section. • WHILE ALMOST ALL THE HOTELS, RESTAURANTS AND STATE PARKS ON THIS SOUTH SIDE OF THE BRIDGE ARE CLOSED, THE BIG SUR DELI AND ADJACENT TAPROOM REMAIN OPEN. • THE OWNER HAD TO LAY OFF EMPLOYEES AND MAKES MULTIPLE SIX-HOUR ROUND-TRIP DRIVES A WEEK TO KEEP THE SHELVES STOCKED. • SOUNDBITE Kurt Mayer, Owner - Big Sur Taphouse amp; Deli: • It's for the locals. In the bad times you gotta try to come through for the people who come through for you all the time. • PERHAPS THE ONE GROUP TAKING THIS IN STRIDE ARE THE TWELVE MONKS LIVING IN THIS MOUNTAINTOP MONASTERY, DESPITE LOSING THEIR MAIN INCOME SOURCE - VISITORS STAYING AT THEIR REMOTE RETREAT. • SOUNDBITE Cyprian Consiglio, New Camaldoli Hermitage: • Our fundamental choice is still to be monks. We didn't come into the life because it was going to be easy (laughs). • THERE IS A WAY TO DRIVE OUT OF SOUTHERN BIG SUR TAKING WINDY, MOUNTAIN ROADS. BUT THE RIDE TO MONTEREY, FOR EXAMPLE, WHICH NORMALLY TAKES ABOUT 30 MINUTES NOW TAKES ABOUT THREE HOURS. • THAT INCONVENIENT ROUTE IS CURRENTLY ONLY OPEN TO LOCALS ON SUPPLY RUNS...BUT EVEN IF IT EVENTUALLY OPENS TO THE PUBLIC, LOCAL BUSINESS LEADERS WORRY FEW TOURISTS WILL TAKE THE DETOUR. • SOUNDBITE Kirk Gafill, President - Big Sur Chamber of Commerce: • We as a community simply will not survive in any way that is recognizable without a timely rebuild of that bridge. • COMMUNITY LEADERS ARE CURRENTLY ASKING THE STATE FOR AN EMERGENCY DECLARATION TO HELP SAVE LOCAL BUSINESSES...AND TO BRIDGE THE GAP BETWEEN SOLITUDE AND SALVATION. • HAVEN DALEY, ASSOCIATED PRESS, BIG SUR, CALIFORNIA. • • Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork • Twitter: / ap_archive • Facebook: / aparchives • Instagram: / apnews • • • You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...

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