Escarpment 2023

Early this morning, between 6 and 7 a.m., a landslide occurred on the escarpment along Robert Service Way.

The slide was contained by the berm and no material crossed into the driving lane. The slide is considered to be a small landslide. Robert Service Way and the Millennium Trail remain open.

This would not be possible without a number of safety measures including the berm, jersey barriers, ongoing inspections, and slope scanner data. However, this serves as yet another reminder that slope conditions can change quickly and residents are encouraged to plan accordingly. Road users should drive to conditions and watch for signage.

While these types of closures are expected seasonally, the City has signed a contract with BGC to develop a conceptual design for a permanent solution that would include grading the slope and realigning a portion of Robert Service Way to the north of the escarpment.

This design will also give the City more information around potential project costs and identify any areas where additional information is needed to better inform future detailed design work. The conceptual design is expected to be complete by late July.

The conceptual design and costing information will also be used to support the City’s application to the Government of Canada’s Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund, which supports municipal infrastructure projects that increase the resilience of communities impacted by climate change.

Subject to funding, work on final design will begin in 2024.

Robert Service Way and the Millennium Trail will be open this morning, Tuesday, June 6 at 7 am. Road users are asked to drive to conditions and be mindful of others. Road users should continue to Engage Whitehorse and the City's social media accounts for the latest conditions.

Robert Service Way remains closed following accelerated movement along an area of the escarpment and an earlier slide yesterday. Crews will be on hand tomorrow morning June 6, to make a decision on reopening based on the latest information. Road users should check the City's social media accounts or Engage Whitehorse for current conditions. We appreciate the public’s patience throughout this response.

Sunday, June 4 — Robert Service Way and the Millennium Trail will remain closed on Monday, June 5. The slope scanner first started to pick up movement on Sunday at 3 am, and the decision to close was made at 8 am. There was a small slide around noon on Sunday, and the slope scanner picked up even greater acceleration of movement late Sunday afternoon.

The Special Weather Statement from Environment Canada is warning of increased risk of landslides due to heavy rain Monday.

Road users are asked to monitor Engage Whitehorse and the City's social media accounts for the latest information. We appreciate the public’s patience throughout this response.

Robert Service Way, along with the Millennium Trail, will be open to users on a 24/7 basis starting this evening.

The current transit detour for Route 5 will remain in effect until further notice.

The public is encouraged to regularly monitor Engage Whitehorse and the City’s social media accounts for the latest information.

Landslides along the escarpment and Robert Service Way are now a regular occurrence and spring closures should be expected annually until a permanent solution can be found. While the City is now exploring a long-term solution for the escarpment along Robert Service Way, any solution that could stabilize the slope would constitute a major project and require extensive design.

Following the slope movements that were first observed late yesterday afternoon, the City and its geotechnical team have increased the level of monitoring and inspections for the escarpment on Robert Service Way.

This extra monitoring will support the City’s plan to extend opening hours for Robert Service Way from 7 am to 10 pm, 7 days a week. When the escarpment stabilizes, we’ll return to planning for a 24/7 opening.

The Millennium Trail will also be open to users during the hours of 7 am to 10 pm.

Road users are asked to monitor Engage Whitehorse and the City's social media accounts for the latest information.

We appreciate the public’s patience throughout this response.

Update at 5 pm — As a result of unanticipated movement observed late this afternoon by the slope scanner, the decision to move to 24/7 has been postponed. Robert Service Way, along with the Millennium Trail will be closed tonight at 7PM. Crews will reassess conditions in the morning to determine if Robert Service Way is safe to reopen as scheduled on Friday at 7 am.

Update at 3 pm — Starting today, Robert Service Way will remain open to traffic on a 24/7 basis.

This reopening is the result of extensive work by City crews and our geotechnical experts. The City will continue to monitor the escarpment to ensure conditions remain safe. Existing safety precautions including the berm, jersey barriers, slope scanner and sensor equipment will remain in place for the time being.

As conditions continue to improve, an additional closure of Robert Service Way will be scheduled to remove the berm and relocate the concrete barriers located in the road right-of-way. These features were always intended to be a temporary solution using discarded material from the slope. Leaving it in place would constrict traffic flow in the area and require extensive work to maintain. The City will provide notice when this work is scheduled and limit the work to off-peak hours as much as possible.

While the situation can still change, the risks have been mitigated as much as possible. The Millennium Trail will also be open to users. Unfortunately, remaining trails including those in the area of Drury Street and along the lower escarpment Downtown will remain closed. As seen last year, moisture can continue to move north through freshet which can cause subsequent slides. Trail users are asked to respect trail closures and fencing.

Landslides along the escarpment and Robert Service Way are now a regular occurrence and spring closures should be expected annually until a permanent solution can be found. While the City is now exploring a long-term solution for the escarpment along Robert Service Way, any solution that could stabilize the slope would constitute a major project for our City and require extensive design.

The City’s Emergency Operations Centre remains partially-activated but is expected to demobilize as early as next week.

The City of Whitehorse is continuing to monitor the escarpment along Robert Service Way following a third landslide on May 21^st between 6PM and 7PM.

As early as May 16^th, crews doing safety inspections began to notice movement in an area of concern. Movement continued to increase throughout May 20^th. According to data from the slope scanner, these movements intensified on May 21^st resulting in a small landslide of about 500 cubic metres. The slide occurred in the same area as this spring’s earlier slides.

The City’s berm was successful in containing much of the debris, allowing us to reopen Robert Service Way this morning. Regular inspections have also been conducted to ensure the continued safety of road users. The City is now looking to a 24/7 opening of Robert Service Way if conditions allow.

While the risk to vehicle traffic remains low, portions of the Millennium trail and other trails in the area will remain closed. The situation remains dynamic and the safety of residents and visitors remains the priority.

Robert Service Way will be closed to traffic over the long weekend as crews prepare for longer term reopening.

In order to ensure the safety of motorists in the area, a number of precautions have been implemented to allow Robert Service Way to reopen temporarily. This includes multiple daily inspections, as well as ongoing review of sensor data and the City’s slope scanner.

Current conditions of the escarpment along Robert Service Way have not stabilized to the point that the road can be opened without daily inspections. Response resources and geotechnical expertise will be limited over the weekend, and as a result Robert Service Way will be closed from Friday, May 19^th at 7:00PM to Tuesday, May 23, at 7:00AM.

However, starting next week crews will begin implementing a monitoring schedule to support a 24/7 opening going forward if the escarpment shows signs of improvement. Residents are strongly encouraged to check social media on Monday night for details on the status of the Robert Service Way for Tuesday.