Wash-out closes Stewart Creek Road
By Shara JJ Cooper
A section of Stewart Creek Road has been closed for over a week thanks to excess water that caused a wash-out. The collapse was reported to the Ministry of Transportation, Saturday, Mar. 30 and work crews started repairs right away.
“The (road) base got saturated,” explained Stephanie Gillis, Ministry of Transportation Area Manager. “There was too much water and the road just let go.”
Fortunately for locals, the wash-out happened about 100 metres past the last residence so everyone has access to their homes. Signs were posted that stated the road was only to be used by residents.
Not everyone that wanted access was able to use the road. The wash-out occurred just before Stewart Creek Road turned into a forestry services road, which loggers use regularly leaving loads of already cut wood unaccessable.
“The logging companies are really looking forward to getting in there,” said Gillis.
Emcon Services is in charge of the road repairs. They started by removing all the wet organic material and then filling the road back in, according to Gillis.
The repairs are expected to last the rest of the week with the road hopefully re-opening Friday, April 12.
Emcon Operations Manager Ken Lawson said everything is going as expected, but the work is wet.
“It’s pretty gooey up there,” he said, adding that they have controlled the water problems so further rain won’t slow down the repairs.
While water can wreak havoc on older roads, wash-outs aren’t common in the area, stated Gillis. She said the excess water could have come from water running down the hills or an underground spring.
“Anything can happen in the springtime,” she said. “Water will go where it wants to go.”
