THUNDER BAY – NEWS – River Street is likely to be closed until later this year as administration prepares a repair proposal for the massive sinkhole that opened up and collapsed the street.
River Street was closed on May 5, 2022 when the sinkhole developed that caused the collapse of the roadway.
The cost of the repairs are currently estimated at as much as $2.5 million dollars.
The collapse of the roadway was caused by a culvert that collapsed.
500 Donald Street East City Manager Norm Gale speaking on the potential liability on road issues says, “The City manages liability via it’s road maintenance standards (see excerpt below); albeit these standards don’t mention sinkholes specifically. Sinkholes are repaired on a priority basis, in accordance with the principles of the standards. Thus, there is no time standard for sinkholes.
“While some may argue that this year’s weather shouldn’t be considered as a factor, in my view the extraordinary weather certainly is a factor, and this weather should not be dismissed cavalierly. Demand has exploded since just last year, i.e. service calls for frozen catch basins / culverts has more than doubled, and we scarcely saw road flooding last year”.
OBJECTIVE:
1.1 The objectives for maintaining ASPHALT SURFACES are:
1.1.1 To provide a reasonably smooth, travelling surface.
1.1.2 To reduce hazards to traffic complying with the rules of the road.
1.1.3 To protect the municipal investment in the Roadway surface.
SUMMARY:
2.1 ASPHALT SURFACES shall be addressed in accordance with the following:
2.2 Priority for repair work carried out on Asphalt Surfaces will be in the order as follows;
2.2.1 Arterial Roadways
2.2.2 Collector Roadways
2.2.3 Local Roadways
2.3 Cracks in the paved Asphalt Surface of a Roadway, which are for a continuous distance of three (3) metres or more and greater than both the width of 2.5 cm and depth of 5 cm, shall be addressed as soon as practicable after becoming aware of the fact.
Developing…
