WATCH: A sinkhole that opened up in the Gorge-Tillicum area back in February has grown larger. Aaron Guillen has more on what this means for nearby residents and if there’s any solution in the near future.
Commuters driving along Gorge Road have been dealing with this construction site since February.
And for crews, this is a growing problem.
The original sinkhole was about the size of 30 centimetres by 60 centimetres, your average shoebox.
But now the hole has grown so big, it could fit an entire car.
According to the District of Saanich, the sinkhole was filled with sand up to the surface.
Due to safety concerns, steel road plates were installed across Gorge Road.
Also, the south end of Albina is still closed to the public.
Right now, only people living on that street are allowed to drive into the construction zone.
But only two months into the fix-up, they’re already getting fed up.
“Everything takes a long time to get done these days,” says Alice Scott, tenant of nearby Gorge Terrace Apartments.
“It’s quite an inconvenience,” adds Gene, another resident.
“The drilling is loud in the mornings, but it’s their job,” says Tyler Osachie, who lives in an Albina Street house.
“I don’t think it’s dangerous, but it looks like they’ve got a lot of work to do still.”
As for what caused the sinkhole? The District of Saanich engineering department is still investigating.
“Throughout the investigation, we have been drilling to find out more information,” says the District of Saanich in an emailed statement.
“Due to the complexity of the work involved, this has taken some time and won’t be complete for several weeks.”
Until then, Gorge-Tillicum residents will wait and see if construction crews get the “all-clear,” or whether they themselves have to clear out if the hole gets even bigger.
Aaron Guillen
