The $439-million tunnel on Highway 1 through the precarious stretch of Pacific Ocean cliff -- the first highway tunnel built in California in 50 years -- is scheduled to open after many delays.
The highway opened in 1937. It has since achieved a reputation for giving weak-stomached drivers fits on its twists and turns -- and has also been dangerous, with boulders and mudslides a common feature on the roadway.
There are two 4,200-foot long tunnels through San Pedro Mountain, which bypass a 1.2-mile stretch of cliffside highway "that was a scary and often dangerous place to drive," according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
The tunnels are scheduled to open "Monday or Tuesday."
A slide in 1995 closed the highway for six months, and a tunnel idea was approved by voters in 1996.
