Heavy rain triggers mudslides along Victoria's scenic Dallas Road
Few days of dry weather needed to do repair work, says city engineer
Heavy rainfall in Victoria has set off a number of small mudslides along the waterfront bluffs along Dallas Road, the city's picturesque walkway.
Jas Paul, the assistant director of engineering for the City of Victoria, says the rain and snow from recent weeks have triggered slides close to Clover Point and Holland Point Beach.
Paul says erosion along the Dallas Road bluffs has been occurring for quite some time and the city has been studying it for years.
"Coastal bluff erosion happens everywhere," he said. "[But] it can be impacted by some of the pathways that are built and also by just people impacting the bluff areas by walking through them and creating trails and whatnot."
A geotechnical engineer has reviewed the bluff areas and the slide areas in particular, Paul says. To keep the public safe, he says the city has shut down all the pathway points that lead down to the lower pathway.
The city is also planning on doing some repair work to remove the soil that has slid down the slope, so the pathways can eventually be reopened.
"We will need a few days of dry weather to carry out the work," Paul said. "With the forecasts that we have for the week ahead, it's likely at least a week away before we can carry out some of that work."
Paul says the city is looking at a more long-term approach to erosion in the area. He says it would be interested in using more natural interventions like plants and improved drainage.
With files from All Points West