The completion of the Southern Pacific Railroad Coast Route from San Francisco to Los Angeles was the final key in assuring the project. From the north, the railroad crews encountered the difficult terrain of the Santa Lucia Mountains. The final obstacle, however, was the 935 foot steel trestle over Stenner Creek ninety feet below. The link from the south, however, stalled until 1900. Finally, on April 1, 1901, the first trains from both San Francisco and Los Angeles came through San Luis Obispo ending its years of isolation.