PRRD awards contract for Rolla Dyke decommissioning construction design

DAWSON CREEK, B.C. — The Peace River Regional District (PRRD) has awarded a contract for the development of a detailed construction design for the decommissioning of Rolla Dyke to BBA Engineering Ltd. 

The contract is valued at $105,000, excluding taxes.

The Rolla Dyke was constructed in 1989 along Rolla Creek in order to prevent flooding and to protect neighbouring properties and infrastructure. It consists of two sections: one area is constructed along the southeast bank of the creek, downstream of 215 Road, and the other area is a short dyke protecting farmyard buildings in the area.

Upon the initial construction of the dyke, the PRRD budgeted $1,500 per year in maintenance costs. Since then, the maintenance cost has increased drastically, resulting in the PRRD’s resolution to decommission the dyke.

In October 2021, the PRRD requested BBA Engineering to create a decommissioning plan for submission to the Water and Dike Safety Branch for approval. The plan included a hydraulic model of flooding scenarios, risk assessments of adjacent properties and infrastructure, mitigation strategies, and sedimentation management.

The Rolla Dyke Decommissioning plan was submitted to the province for approval last March, and the PRRD has since received approval to begin decommissioning the dyke. 

The next step in the process requires the full development of design construction drawings based on BBA Engineering’s previous decommissioning plan. The drawings will be used to tender the earthwork for the deconstruction of the dyke. 

The estimated timeline for the decommissioning of the dyke begins with the completion of design drawings on September 8th, followed by open tender for deconstruction three days later. The tender for decommissioning will be awarded on October 26th, and the actual decommissioning of the dyke is set to take place between November 6th and December 31st. 

The PRRD’s full report can be viewed here.