January 9, 2023 4:00 p.m. 

U.S. Highway 101 is closed about 12 miles south of Port Orford after a landslide early Monday morning.

Matt Noble of the Oregon Department of Transportation said the landslide caused a roughly 200-yard segment of the highway to drop as much as 12 feet in some spots.

U.S. 101 remains closed in that area while geotechnical engineers evaluate the scene and watch for additional movement.

Noble said crews first noticed landslide activity on January 2nd 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’s safety.

Noble said active landslides are common on the south cost. 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.