Repair coming for longtime safety hazard on Sturgeon Creek path, city promises

https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2023/08/29/repair-coming-for-...

A MASSIVE hole at one edge of the busy Sturgeon Creek active transportation route is still drawing safety complaints from residents months after it was first reported.

The city said Tuesday a repair is on the way.

The Free Press first reported the problem — where the Sturgeon Creek route meets a smaller path that leads to a playground on Amarynth Crescent — on June 7. At the time, it had one barricade posted at each of its ends and appeared to be about 75 centimetres deep and at least six metres long. The next day, the city erected snow fencing around the entire perimeter of the hole.

Randall Hull first complained to 311 about the safety hazard on April 23. Hull said he’s relieved to hear some action will be taken soon, since it’s about to get a lot more use.

“Once kids get back to school, there’s a lot of kids that use that pathway to either go to school by bike or walk,” he said.

The city pumped standing water out of the trench, which now appears to be about 1.8 metres deep, he said, adding the snow fence doesn’t extend far enough to block access to the hole in its entirety.

“The snow fence is good on two of the four sides but it isn’t really adequate at the end … it stops (about 1.2 metres) short of going all the way around and therefore it’s easy for kids to go underneath the snow fence,” he said. “At the proper angle, you see how grossly inadequate it is.”

A city public works spokesman said the repair process will begin soon.

“The gap in Sturgeon Creek pathway by Amarynth Park is the result of an underground washout that needs further investigation. The site will be inspected by a riverbank stabilization engineer in mid-September to determine the cause of the gap and the appropriate next steps for making the repair, Ken Allen wrote.

“Temporarily filling the hole with gravel as an interim measure is not a sufficient or appropriate repair method for this type of issue.”

Allen said a crew will also inspect the snow fence and could repair it before the hole itself is fixed “in the weeks ahead.”

The damaged path is in St. James Coun. Shawn Dobson’s ward. He said city officials suspect an old land drainage line may be linked to the problem.

“They can’t (just) fill up (the hole). It’ll keep sinking until they determine the cause,” said Dobson.

In June, the councillor called the hole “monstrous” and agreed it posed a significant safety concern. He said it appears even larger now, but he believes the highly visible barrier surrounding it greatly reduces any risk.

Dobson said it makes sense to take the time needed to ensure a more permanent repair. “It’s a complicated fix because you can’t just throw gravel in it and say it’s done. ... They have to figure out what’s causing (the washout) and that means they have to get in there and dig,” he said.

Dobson said the pathway may need to be realigned and rebuilt. While there is not yet a cost estimate or timeline to fix the problem, he said he’s confident money will be available.

Hull said he’s glad the city has promised to take action. And while he’d love to see a quicker repair, he said it does make sense to pursue a long-term fix.

“Until there’s something permanently done, it’s probably a good point not to throw money at (fixing it if) you know it’s not going to last,” he said.

joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga