Highway 101 reopens in Montecito nearly 2 weeks after deadly mudslide

(FOX 11/CNS) - The U.S. 101 was reopened through Santa Barbara County at about noon on Sunday, 13 days after devastating flash floods covered the key route between central and Southern California.

The U.S. 101 had been closed since Jan. 9 in Santa Barbara County, as crews worked 24 hours per day to remove millions of square feet of fetid water, debris and possible human remains, washed into a depressed area of the freeway at Montecito, 90 miles west of the Los Angeles Civic Center.

Travelers have been forced to use buses, boats or trains to get through the closure area since the Jan. 9 mudslide.

Remaining closures: