Rocks have fallen beside Pelmewash Parkway, in Lake Country.

Image Credit: SUBMITTED/Travis Hastings

Unless the district can throw a giant plastic sheet over the mountain, rockfalls along Pelmewash Parkway are going to continue, says Lake Country Mayor James Baker.

For years the highway was maintained by the Ministry of Transportation and in 2017, ownership was transferred to the District of Lake Country.

“The geology there is fractured rock, so it gets freeze and thaw regime that sends some of them off over the edge, and we’ve done more ditching and put up some berms to mitigate somewhat but there’s nothing we can do with the hillside itself unless we could throw a plastic sheet over that and make it entirely waterproof but we’re not about to do that,” Baker said.

This Saturday, Jan. 22, residents reported debris on the roadway and district crews will be cleaning it up this week, said district communications officer Karen Miller, via email.

“Rockfalls tend to happen more often in late winter/early spring, when slopes along main roads can be affected by the freeze/thaw cycle, changing temperatures and increased rainfall.”

Rockfalls can’t always be prevented and the district uses contractors in the event the roadway needs to be cleared and made safe for travellers, she said.

Last February, two residents were almost caught in a large rock slide along the drive. Malcolm Hett, a resident along the road, said at the time it’s common to see rocks falling a few times a year but not to that extent.

READ MORE: Two Lake Country residents almost caught in Pelmewash Parkway rock slide

After the incident, Miller said district crews spent extra time with a geotechnical engineer examining the steep slopes, creating more room in catchment ditches and realigning the road to create a larger rock catchment area.

“Be careful this time of year… and let us know if rocks are looking precarious,” Baker said.

District crews regularly monitor many of the roads and along the rail trail, where there are steep natural rock faces and debris falls are part of the natural cycles, Miller said.

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