The City of Whitehorse says another landslide is likely near the site where one closed Robert Service Way on April 8.
According to an April 13 notice from the city, the road remains closed along with portions of the Millennium Trail and trails along the top and bottom of the escarpment. The notice says that city crews will be installing fencing to limit access to high-risk areas of the closed trails in the coming days.
The reason for the ongoing closures given by the city are new tension cracks in the face of the escarpment that have formed to the south of the April 8 slide. This leads the city to believe there is a high risk of another slide of the same size or larger than the first.
The city is tracking the movement of the escarpment slope to try and learn how it is reacting to the warming temperatures.
The situation has prompted the city to partially activate its Emergency Operations Centre (EOC). The EOC will coordinate city staff and resources in the event of additional slides. The notice from the city stressed that the risk of landslides remains high and serious incidents can occur at a moment’s notice. The city will use the Whitehorse Alert system when there is a risk to public health and safety for messaging, including when there is a need to evacuate. Residents can register for Whitehorse Alert at whitehorse.ca/emergency.
The city was set to provide further information on landslide risk to reporters in a briefing after press time on April 14.
Contact Jim Elliot at jim.elliot@yukon-news.com