Devon coastal road closed after section washed away by torrential rain He said: "The whole road has fallen away. On Wednesday there were a few cracks in the road surface. The County Council closed the road to do some tests and take a closer look at it. Within 24 hours the road had started to sink. It dropped even further over the weekend and it is now about six feet deep, there is just this huge drop down. It covers half the road, it is about eight food across. But as well as the drop, it is pushing out towards the sea. The whole thing is just slipping now. If the wet weather continues further damage could be caused so it is not safe for people to get too close. Mr Hughes said the road had been resurfaced two months ago and had been 'surface dressed', which was supposed to protect it from water for up to 10 years. The road is used by tourist coaches as it has a "great view" of the Jurassic Coast, as well as local traffic. A diversion has been put in place for road users and walkers taking the South West Coast Path are advised to walk on pavement on Beer Road.