Ensenada, Mexico — Last Saturday, only days after a 4.6-magnitude earthquake struck just south of Ensenada, Mexico, a 300-yard section the Tijuana-Ensenada toll road collapsed, forcing the closure of the highway.

The scenic route near the US border had already seen evidence of damage since the December 19th earthquake, and many travelers had posted pictures of the increasingly perilous situation on social media.

On Saturday, the combination of several smaller tremors and recent heavy rains, caused the earth beneath the highway to give way and plunge down the cliff toward the sea. Some parts fell almost 300 feet and there is the threat of continued sinking.

Mexico’s federal highway authority says the collapse occurred about 10 miles north of Ensenada and 58 miles south of the border city of Tijuana, but have yet to confirm that the collapse is due to the earthquake, saying only that "natural causes" were to blame.

There were no deaths of injuries reported due to the collapse.

The highway is now closed from the La Misión toll to the San Miguel toll, forcing travelers to take the old highway from La Misión to Ensenada which is further inland - an alternate route of about 30 miles.

The Baja state government advises travelers to take Federal Road 3 if they are heading out from Tecate toward Ensenada, or use the old Ensenada-San Felipe road for trips between Mexicali and Ensenada.

Accounts on just how long it will take to get the road reopened are conflicting, with some reports saying the highway will likely be closed for the next few weeks and others putting the total time needed for repairs at one year.

The collapse could be devastating for the city of Ensenada and to the overall economy of Baja, as the city is home to the third busiest cruise ship terminal in Mexico and gateway to the rest of the state by sea.