Southbound Highway 101 lane closed by mud near Mussel Shoals; traffic jammed

Staff reports
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Southbound Highway 101 near Mussel Shoals and the Seacliff ramp, seen in June, had lanes closed by flooding, mud and debris on Saturday, Caltrans officials said.
Southbound Highway 101 near Mussel Shoals and the Seacliff ramp, seen in June, had lanes closed by flooding, mud and debris on Saturday, Caltrans officials said.

This story has been updated.

Travel on southbound Highway 101 into Ventura County was jammed near Mussel Shoals and La Conchita this weekend as mud blocked one of two lanes, authorities said.

As of 5:30 p.m. Sunday, the left lane of the split highway was still closed, according to California Highway Patrol dispatch officials with the Ventura-area office.

With fewer drivers on the road Sunday morning, traffic was flowing smoothly as of 8 a.m., but had backed up by midday, maps showed.

There is no estimated time for the lane to reopen, dispatchers said.

The highway's two southbound lanes are temporarily split by K-rail for several miles south of Mussel Shoals for a major pavement upgrade project along the stretch. The right lane remains open.

The closure, which started Saturday morning, slowed southbound drivers for most of the day as it dragged through the afternoon and overnight.

On Saturday, traffic backed up past Rincon Point for hours.

California Department of Transportation officials had tweeted around 10:30 a.m. Saturday that both southbound lanes of the 101 were closed at Mussel Shoals, although the CHP confirmed only one lane was blocked at the time. Caltrans later tweeted an update indicating one lane was open.

This story may be updated.

This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Southbound Highway 101 jammed near Mussel Shoals as mud closes lane