101 Freeway in Montecito expected to reopen by Monday

MONTECITO, Calif. (KABC) -- It's been a monumental task moving mountains of dirt on the 101 Freeway in Montecito, and residents know the road to recovery from the mudslides will take years.

"I am mandatory evacuated. I can't live in it, obviously. I don't have electricity. I don't have water. I don't have gas," Carrie MacIntyre said.

About 200 truckloads an hour cleaned up the muck on the freeway, which is being treated 24 hours a day.

"We're now in the process of scrapping the roadway to make sure that it's safe for motorists. We're also doing extensive guardrail repair, much of which was damaged during this incident," said Jim Shivers, with Caltrans District 5.

For many residents, it's heartbreaking to see their neighborhood destroyed.

"I have to honestly say I was just crying in my car. I couldn't handle it. I just lost it. It was beyond anything I ever thought," MacIntyre said.

While the cleanup has also become a search-and-rescue effort, the search for the remaining missing victims is slow.

Officials are looking at the weather, especially when there's a chance of rain Friday night.

Caltrans officials said the work is moving along and the plan is to open the 101 Freeway by Monday.