Nearly a week after a "ground movement" at FortisBC's Coquitlam worksite shut down a stretch of Como Lake Avenue, the busy route has been reopened to traffic.
A roadway collapsed near the Banting Street intersection last Tuesday, forcing crews to block off the westbound lane and causing major headaches for commuters.
The closure lasted through the weekend, but FortisBC announced Monday that cars were once again cleared to use Como Lake between Townley and Robinson streets. A temporary detour set up at Blue Mountain Street has also been removed.
The inconvenience irked Mayor Richard Stewart, who slammed the utility company on social media over what he described as a "sinkhole" opening up in the city.
FortisBC denied that characterization, and said it's still working to determine what happened at the site.
"We’re continuing to investigate the cause of the ground movement that was found on Tuesday," the utility said in a statement. "We’re committed to repairing any portions of the road affected by our project and will work closely with the City of Coquitlam to do this."
Meanwhile, another detour for westbound drivers has been set up between Schoolhouse and Porter streets via Foster Avenue.
FortisBC is currently in the midst of a major infrastructure project, replacing 20 kilometres of natural gas line from Vancouver to Coquitlam. The 30-inch line was installed in the 1950s, and is reaching the end of its lifespan.
The utility said the line services more than 210,000 homes and businesses, including more than 30,000 in Coquitlam.
