Delays on Highway 17 will likely last for days due to Tuesday’s mudslide.

Drivers in Scotts Valley experienced some major traffic-troubles Wednesday more than 24 hours after a massive mudslide on Highway 17. This is the third major slide on the road this winter.

The slide happened Tuesday near Vine Hill Road.

It was so bad California Highway Patrol shut down a portion of the highway in both directions for about eight hours. The backup caused a major headache for driver Catherine DaDamo, who works in Campbell but lives in Scotts Valley.

“It’s a nightmare, an absolute nightmare,” said DaDamo. “I spend more time at a hotel over the hill or at my brother’s house because I can’t get home.”

On Wednesday, it was one lane north and one lane south, but crews are hoping a special piece of equipment, called a spider tractor, could help.

“Having this piece of equipment out here, having it be able to walk up the slope and start removing from the top down, we are able to clean up the slide in a safer manner,” said Caltrans spokesperson Devin Porr.

C.H.P. held traffic for about 10 minutes while crews got the spider in place. It was a big pain for anyone in a hurry, but according to Caltrans it was necessary to keep drivers safe.

“Given the size of the boulder(s), we are worried about them coming down the slope and actually having enough velocity to go across the median,” said Porr.

When the slides first came down, a car got caught in its path. The driver was okay, but the brand new rock net that was installed just last month was not so lucky.

A busy cleanup, but many are just thankful to find an alternate route.

“Highway 101 south through Gilroy then 129 west to Highway 1 and then up into Santa Cruz,” said driver Zoe Chiaramonte. Caltrans said they will be working around the clock to clean up the slide but added that it could be two, three or even four days before it is fully cleaned up.