Port Moody residents living near the Evergreen Line route are scared and frustrated after construction work caused two separate sinkholes in the area.
A tunnel boring machine is being blamed for the sinkholes, which swallowed up ground in a Chateau Place parking lot in October and again just blocks away in early January.
The latest sinkhole happened on Cecile Drive just outside Stuart Dahlke’s window, and tunnel work is set to continue right underneath his townhouse next.
“It scares the crap out of me, to be honest,” Dahlke said. “All of a sudden I’m in my house or my kids are in the house, and it just starts caving away… that’s my biggest concern.”
Local politicians, including Port Moody Coun. Rob Vagramov, said they share residents’ concerns and are unhappy with the lack of information coming from the contractors or province.
“What happens if [the next sinkhole] is under a building? These are very serious concerns, and unfortunately I don’t have an answer,” Vagramov said. “But it’s not my job to answer for these. That’s their job and they’re not doing it.”
Evergreen Line construction manager Nasir Kurji addressed concerned residents on Tuesday, but had few answers to offer.
He said crews are still conducting geotechnical investigations and he hopes to have more information at a meeting planned for Wednesday.
In the meantime, he said the safety of the public and construction crews are the top priority.
“This area has been fenced off and we’re always mindful of the work we’re doing,” Kurji said.
“We’re attempting to characterize the conditions so we can make our next strategy for how to move forward.”
With a report from CTV Vancouver’s Scott Roberts
