Landslide drops, closes U.S. Highway 101 on southern Oregon coast

PORT ORFORD, Ore. (KTVZ) – U.S. Highway 101 is closed about 12 miles south of Port Orford after a landslide early Monday morning caused a roughly 200-yard segment of highway to drop as much as 12 feet in some spots, the Oregon Department of Transportation reported.

Highway 101 remained closed Tuesday near the landslide while ODOT geotechnical engineers evaluate the scene and watch for additional movement.

In a news release Monday afternoon, ODOT said, "We do not have an estimate yet for when the highway may reopen. There is no local detour on this stretch of U.S. 101. This closure applies to emergency services, too."

ODOT said its crews first noticed landslide activity a week ago, on Jan. 2, when large cracks formed in the pavement. The cracks were patched, but by Friday, a sunken hole had formed in the northbound lanes, prompting a lane closure and 24-hour flagging for traveler safety.

Around 3 a.m. Monday, a larger section of U.S. 101 sank about five feet, and ODOT closed the highway. U.S. 101 continued to drop through mid-morning, although movement had slowed by midday.

Active landslides are common on the south coast. ODOT monitors multiple active landslides between Port Orford and Ophir. This active landslide, known as the “Arizona Slide,” has had events like this since the 1980s. The last big Arizona Slide event occurred in 1993 and closed U.S. 101 for over a week.

Follow traffic conditions at our ODOT TripCheck page.