“Extremely wet weather” has delayed stabilization work on White Rock’s Marine Drive hump by two weeks.
The project, however, remains slightly under budget, City of White Rock officials said Friday (Jan. 8).
Work that had been anticipated to take three months got underway Oct. 5, after council approved a $1.066-million contract to address concerns that the retaining walls that support the popular waterfront road above the BNSF tracks between Johnston Road and Cypress Street could potentially fail under seismic loading.
READ MORE: White Rock approves $1 million Marine Drive hump stabilization project
“The ongoing slippage of the roadway and retaining walls could potentially accelerate, resulting in failure carrying portions of the roadway, sidewalk and underground utilities below onto the BNSF railway tracks,” engineering and municipal operations director Jim Gordon wrote in a July 27 report.
Last month, an additional four weeks and $693,000 in unbudgeted costs – including $500,000 to repair metal bin walls with soil anchors and shotcrete – was tacked on to the project cost following discovery of greater deterioration of aging materials.
An unexpected need for additional traffic control – due to “total disrespect and disregard for the traffic control at the western end” – also contributed to the cost overrun.
Gordon said Friday that it is the soil-anchors installation and shotcrete work that has been delayed by the weather.
READ MORE: Marine Drive retaining wall work to cost extra $700K and continue into January
Sidewalk repairs and road repaving will be finalized in March, he added. At that time, alternating traffic will be required during construction hours.
Eastbound traffic, meanwhile, will continue to be detoured until the shotcrete work is complete.
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City officials say wet weather has delayed completion of stabilization work on Marine Drive’s hump by two weeks, with the scheduled finish now anticipated for the end of January, followed by repairs to the sidewalks and road repaving in March. The road’s eastbound lane is closed while the repairs are underway. (Tracy Holmes photo)
