An aerial view of the mudslide on Renfrew Road in Peachland.
Image Credit: Contributed
January 24, 2017 - 4:53 PM
PEACHLAND - Weeks after the initial mudslide dump debris onto Highway 97 through Peachland, the ground continues to crumble, and the cost of repairing the damage caused by the slide could pass $1 million.
The cause of the mudslide just north of Antlers Beach on a steep bank up to Renfrew Road in Peachland on Jan. 6, was likely ground water.
And the soil below Renfrew Road continues to crumble, according to the district's chief adminstrative officer Elsie Lemke.
“Due to the frost melting the land is unstable,” Lemke says. “We expected this to happen.”
The sewer main that ruptured during the slide has been temporarily fixed and all the homes previously affected have been reconnected. Renfrew Road is still closed to all traffic and the area remains fenced off, for safety reasons.
Long term repairs could cost as much as $1 million, while short term costs could reach about $250,000.
Lemke says Emergency Management B.C. has allocated $82,906 towards repairs so far. The district is applying to the province for additional funding, but it's unknown how much assistance it will be eligible for.
Council will make a decision in the next few weeks regarding the repair work, which could take three to four months.
Lemke says weather will play a factor in the decision process.
“If it’s strictly dirt work, equipment can work on frozen ground. However when pouring cement the weather does come into effect,” she says. “We need stabilized weather.”
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News from © iNFOnews, 2017