A major California highway is sliding toward the sea. There is no quick fix

CRESCENT CITY, Del Norte County — Rattled by earthquakes. Pummeled by wind and rain. Buried in landslides.

This 3-mile stretch of Highway 101 atop a cliff in California’s far north careens through old growth redwood forests and across an earthen river of dirt and rock that is constantly shifting downslope toward crashing waves.

For more than a century, Del Norte County residents have called it Last Chance Grade, though no one recalls who coined the foreboding name.

A freshly paved road should last seven to 10 years, but not here. Six months is about the limit before jagged cracks, bubbling asphalt and falling rocks threaten motorists navigating sharp, treacherous turns.

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