Efforts are underway to buttress against further degradation to the four-tier retaining wall structure that collapsed last month in a Black Mountain subdivision.
On the advice of a geotechnical engineer investigating the wall collapse for the City of Kelowna engineering department, soil is being added today to help stabilize the damaged base of the brick retaining wall along Samurai Court.
Related: Water flow blamed for wall collapse
James Kay, City of Kelowna engineering manager, said it is an initial step in what promises to be a lengthy process to ultimately repair the damage.
“We’ve been able to clear room for the residents of Samurai to drive on their street, but the challenge for us is the geotechnical engineer is saying not to disturb the collapsed area until the investigation of what happened is complete,” said Kay.
Ultimately, the property owner will bear the cost to repair the damaged portion of the retaining wall, but Kay said the city has placed very high importance on determining why the incident happened and what the potential wall repair options might be.
“Unfortunately, it will be a lengthy and expensive process. There is no quick fix,” he said.
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