City to build 75-metre protective wall along base of Whitehorse escarpment

Looking up the Yukon River in Whitehorse, alongside Robert Service Way and the escarpment, in March. The city has been closely monitoring the escarpment this spring after a series of landslides in 2022 and 2023. (Maria Tobin/CBC)

The City of Whitehorse is building a 75-metre concrete wall at the base of the escarpment alongside a portion of Robert Service Way, to protect against any possible landslides this year.

The city says it’s a precaution, as the spring melt continues.

“With the warm weather we are seeing, we’re seeing some more movement along the escarpment along Robert Service Way,” said city engineer Taylor Eshpeter, on Monday afternoon.

The city has been closely monitoring the slope this year after landslides in 2022 and 2023 caused prolonged road closures and raised questions about the ongoing stability of the escarpment as the climate changes.

This spring has seen no significant slides like the past two years; however, the city said on Friday that tension cracks had formed along the escarpment, and there had been a “minor slide” — less than 100 cubic meters — the day before.

Now the plan is to construct a two-metre-high wall using concrete blocks, along a 75-metre stretch of Robert Service Way. Eshpeter says it will be similar to a barrier that’s already been installed there, but will add more protection.

“It will create a nice heavy mass to help mitigate against some potential smaller slides,” he said.

He says it’s meant to be a temporary measure and will be able to protect the roadway from slides that are smaller than 750 cubic meters. That’s smaller than any of the slides seen last year, he said.

“As long as nothing develops greater than last year, this should help us mitigate against that.”

Eshpeter said work on the wall is expected to begin on Tuesday. He doesn’t expect it to disrupt traffic along Robert Service Way, in either direction.

This article is republished from RCI.