Slumping Sask. Crescent no risk to residents: city

Saskatchewan Crescent East is in a slump, but city engineers say residents and their homes aren’t in danger.

The stretch of road between 16th and 17th Streets was closed two weeks ago when a large, half-circle chunk of earth began to crack, slump and break away from the embankment.

Despite the now gaping chasm as the ground continues to break away, City of Saskatoon transportation and utilities general manager Jeff Jorgenson said Monday engineers don’t think residents are in harm’s way.

“Although it is unsettling when you look at this site, (engineers) are very confident that houses are not at risk in this area,” he said.

Jorgenson said underground power and water lines are fed to homes through back lanes and are not under immediate threat from the slumping.

Saskatoon Light and Power workers were on scene earlier this week examining street light fixtures. Jorgenson said power may be cut to sections of street lights.

“It’s a ground water, material properties and geometry problem,” Jorgenson said.

The city expects final designs for a fix to be ready by the third week of May, Jorgenson said, then a public tender will be put out and repairs are expected to start in September.