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Saskatoon News

Gutek: No evidence that city infrastructure caused riverbank collapse

Reported by Fan-Yee Suen
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The City of Saskatoon confirmed Wednesday evening that the riverbank slope failure in June, which still has some residents on 11th Street East and Saskatchewan Crescent East relying on mobile natural gas trailers, was not caused by the city.

There is no evidence that the collapse was the result of underground water pipes or any other infrastructural elements, said Saskatoon’s infrastructure manager Mike Gutek.

“To date, we don’t have any evidence that it was a city or infrastructure cause.”

The specific factors that lead to the collapse, however, have yet to be determined, he said.

Many of these questions will be answered in a report - which will cost the city $138,700 - that will be penned by Golder Associates, said Gutek.

Since June 20, the geotechnical engineering firm has been monitoring the riverbank’s movement and will continue to do so, said Gutek, adding that the slope is no longer moving nearly as much.

fsuen@rawlco.com

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