FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. – B.C.’s Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure has begun work on a geotechnical engineering analysis on the eastern portion of the valley where the Cecil Lake road crosses the Beatton River northeast of Fort St. John.
The ministry told Energeticcity.ca that staff are currently undertaking a detailed analysis and that geotechnical drilling is scheduled to start in September. Instruments will be installed that will “monitor the frequency and rate of slide movement.”
“Monitoring will continue into spring 2023 and help inform next steps,” the statement concluded.
The road has been subject to landslides that have worsened over the last few years and resulted in small realignments to the highway.
The road currently includes a steep gravel section on a hill with a history of landslides and a rebuilt, paved corner that avoids an unstable section.
The ministry said in a statement that the road is regularly monitored by both ministry staff and the maintenance company that looks after the road.