Highway 101 was blocked by land debris and closed in both directions for three and a half hours Dec. 27 in the Pender Harbour area due to a “medium sized ditch bank failure.”
Capilano Roads spokesperson Tyler Lambert told Coast Reporter that while crews addressed the incident near the Francis Peninsula Road intersection, highway traffic kept moving with detours via area side roads.
Lambert said that approximately 100 metric tons or ten dump trucks loads of material, including “large rocks, lots of mud and several trees” tumbled onto the highway driving lanes. In his assessment, “it was not a debris torrent just groundwater pushing the bank out due to heavy rain and snow melt." Crews removed the debris and notified BC Hydro of a “danger tree” on the ditch slope, which was also assessed. The highway lanes were back in service by 4:30 p.m.
“We have not cleared the ditch but the travel lanes are passable. The area of the debris slippage is coned off,” said Lambert. Capilano is awaiting further geotechnical assessment by the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure on the potential need for remedial work on the slope before they will fully restore the ditch line.
Lambert said the incident was the only “landslide type” event along the highway during the recent winter storm event. Other Highway 101 areas affected by storm damage were at Joe Road, Crowe Road, and in Gibsons near the former highways works yard.
One area side road closure in effect
As for the area’s side roads, a closure remained on Dec. 28 on Oldershaw Road in the Roberts Creek area, and Lambert stated crews are working to restore that route. He said water on side roads was experienced from Halfmoon Bay to Gibsons “in most of the normal spots that struggle when it rains hard,” but that the effects were much less severe than during the Nov. 2021 atmospheric river event.
Snow forecast, Capilano is ready
Environment Canada has issued a severe weather outlook report, but not a weather alert, for the Sunshine Coast effective Dec. 28 to 30. The outlook recommends residents “be prepared” for the risk of snowfall, with accumulations in the 10 to 15 cm range over the first two days, tapering off on Dec. 30. Temperatures over the period are forecast to hover around the freezing level.
Lambert said Capilano is prepared for the potential of another snowfall event. “We’re ready to go, stockpiles of salt have been restored, our trucks are prepared and we are fully staffed.”
