A large chunk of California’s Highway 1 near the Big Sur area collapsed into the ocean in the midst of a mudslide triggered by heavy rains, officials said. The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) Fifth District wrote a message Friday warning drivers of the closure due to a “partial washout.” The washout occurred near Rat Creek about 15 miles south of Big Sur, according to Caltrans, which added that Highway 1 is open from Carmel to the town of Big Sur. Photos posted from the scene showed a significant piece of the hillside and road missing. Due to the size of the missing piece, it appears that the section of Highway 1 will remain impassible for a considerable amount of time. Toks Omishakin, director of the California Department of Transportation, wrote that it could be several weeks before the highway portion is reconstructed. He called on people to “avoid this area” …