Pine Pass and South Peace Floods

2011-2012 | Near Chetwynd, BC

Following severe rain in June 2011, Hwy 97 experienced floods between Pine Pass and 20km south of Chetwynd (a length of 60km), with 73 damaged sites. This flooding resulted in the loss of culverts and bridge end fills, and washouts along various portions of the highway, forcing closure of this vital route. As Prime Contractor, McElhanney administered emergency repair works using day labour. The scope included repairing three major slides, as well as numerous major washouts and debris flows. McElhanney provided technical assistance in topographic survey and hydrotechnical services for base plan preparation, as well as coordination of consultants involved in design of replacement structures. Our team was responsible for site safety, traffic control, construction coordination / staging, cost control, and reporting. This assignment involved 100+ pieces of heavy equipment and 100+ people working simultaneously on up to 12 sites. We managed a multi-disciplinary team (including geotechnical, environmental, and hydrotechnical specialists) and prioritized severity of repairs.

McElhanney was awarded the BC MOTI Deputy Minister’s Consulting Engineering Award for Specialized Engineering Services for this project in 2012.