Cavern under Edmonton street discovered by accident, months of repairs needed, Epcor says
EDMONTON A dangerous cavern under Allendale Road was discovered almost by accident, with Epcor drainage engineers realizing something was wrong during inspections for upcoming construction work, an official said Wednesday.
Epcor spokesman Tim LeRiche said repairs could take two months and promised more details Thursday about road closures. Crews were drilling bore holes on site Wednesday to confirm the full extent of the cavern; they’ve already done X-rays, soil and water testing.
Sinkholes and underground cavities are a fairly common issue in cities when leaks in pipes cause soil to wash away over years. “But not this big,” said LeRiche, without giving any comparison or assessment of the size.
He would only say the cavern is “large.” Epcor has shut down Allendale Road in both directions from 105 Street to Calgary Trail for safety.
The underground cavity was discovered late last week after two drainage engineers entered a drainage pipe and looked around. They realized there was an issue, then came back out and found the telltale signs of danger on the surface, too. “We were seeing cracks. We were seeing undulations on the surface,” LeRiche said.
He said it’s possible Epcor may be able to reopen some of the closed area during repairs but it has to define the full extent of the damage first. “Yes, it has been slow,” said LeRiche. “But safety of the crews and public is of primary importance.”
Both a drainage pipe and a water line run through the area.
Several large sinkholes have captured Edmonton’s attention in the past. In 2007, a sinkhole six metres wide nearly swallowed a minivan on Lessard Drive. Two years later, a broken water main created a fourmetre wide by two-metre deep sinkhole on Jasper Avenue near 116 Street. There have also been many smaller ones.