A three-kilometre portion of the Trans Canada Highway east of Clarenville will remain closed to traffic for at least few days in order to ensure safety, according to Transportation and Works Minister Paul Davis.
Davis said geotechnical staff assessed the rock face and determined more work is necessary to ensure public safety. That work may entail blasting, he said.
A cause for the landslide has not been determined according to the minister, who said it has been over 20 years since the department last worked on the rock face in question.
Work crews have been removing debris from the area since the landslide occurred Saturday. Davis said in some cases large chunks of rock were too big to remove, making it necessary to break them down further.
Motorists are being diverted from the highway to a 3.6-kilometre roadway with a reduced speed limit in comparison to the TCH.
For more on this story, read Monday's edition of The Telegram.
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Blasting has been deemed necessary in order to ensure public safety in an area where a landslide has forced the closure of a section of the Trans Canada Highway.
Geotechnical staff from the Department of Transportation and Works made the assessment while considering the structural integrity of the rock in an area located east of Clarenville.
Traffic has been diverted from a section of the highway between the intersection of Northwest Brook and Route 204. Road crews have worked to clear debris since Saturday’s landslide.
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(Earlier stories)
Traffic on the Trans Canada Highway east of Clarenville continues to be diverted as the result of a landslide that happened Saturday.
In its latest news release issued midday Sunday, Clarenville RCMP advised that crews from the Department of Transportation and Works were still removing debris from the highway.
The detour near Ivany’s Cove is reported to be approximately three kilometres. Police advise there is currently not a traffic backlog.
Clarenville RCMP said further updates will be provided once they are available.
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The section of Trans Canada Highway affected by yesterday's landslide will remain closed until further notice.
The RCMP is advising that the road will not be reopened until work crews are satisfied that the rock wall is again safe.
Traffic will continue to be rerouted through the Northwest Brook area via Ivany's Cove.
Another update will be provided when the road is clear.
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The RCMP are advising that the Trans Canada Highway will remain closed due to a rock slide in the area of Northwest Brook near Clarenville. Traffic will continue to be re-routed through Ivany's Cove.
A further update will be issued in the morning.
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Earlier story:
The RCMP is warning motorists that a landslide has forced the closure of both lanes of the Trans Canada Highway in the Northwest Brook area, east of Clarenville.
Motorists should be aware that traffic will be slowed considerably as vehicles are diverted around the slide.
More information will be posted as it becomes available.
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@David: Do the human gene pool a favor and go eat the grill of a speeding Buick will you? That's a good boy.