(UPDATE) Landslide assessments ongoing in Old Fort Road area

Updated: April 20th, 1:35 p.m.: This article has been updated to reflect a statement from the Ministry of Transportation and Transit about the current condition of the Old Fort Road landslide.

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — Commuters have been asked to avoid the Old Fort Road area between River Road and River Drive near Fort St. John while landslide assessments are ongoing.  

This comes after the Old Fort Road was closed to all traffic on April 19th following residents’ reports of fresh ground movement in the area of a 2018 landslide. 

The Peace River Regional District (PRRD) has opened its Emergency Operations Centre, and the Ministry of Transportation and Transit has shut the road in both directions. 

According to a statement from the Ministry of Transportation and Transit to Energeticcity.ca on April 20th, cracking has been observed at the side, and geotechnical engineers are “on the way” to assess the condition of the area.

“The ministry understands the impact on people with this road closure,” the statement read.

“However, for safety reasons, the ministry will need to undertake a full evaluation before a timeline for reopening can be determined.”

The ministry explained its maintenance contractor and traffic control personnel were on site to observe conditions and guide traffic during the closure, and advised drivers to go to DriveBC for up-to-date road closure information.

According to Drive BC, a closure is in effect between River Road and River Drive, an assessment is in progress and commuters are asked to avoid the area if possible. 

Although there are no evacuation alerts or orders, residents of Old Fort subdivision have been asked to shelter in place until the road has reopened. 

The first landslide occurred on September 29th, 2018, at a gravel mine when a part of the hillside gave way. Residents of the nearby subdivision were evacuated for more than a month as the landslide continued to move. In June 2020, the landslide was reactivated following heavy rainfall. 

According to Drive BC, an update on the road closure is expected at around 7 p.m. on April 20th. 

Energeticcity.ca will update this story as and when new information becomes available.