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Crews continue to investigate large sinkhole in Central Saanich

Cause of the sinkhole remains unknown
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A sinkhole opened up in the 7100-block of Veyannes Road Tuesday afternoon. (Photo courtesy of Central Saanich)

A Central Saanich road remains closed today and possibly Thursday as crews continue to investigate a sinkhole that opened up Tuesday.

Britt Burnham, manager of community services for the District of Central Saanich, said Wednesday morning that geotechnical engineers and public work crews continue to assess the sinkhole in the 7100-block of Veyannes Road south of Stellys Cross Road.

“It’s not fixed,” she said. “They hope to have a determination today [Wednesday] and as soon as they have a determination, they will start repairing the site. So the road will be closed today [Wednesday] during that time and depending on how long the repair takes, it may be closed tomorrow [Thursday] as well.”

RELATED: Significant sinkhole closes Veyannes Road in Central Saanich

As Burnham’s comments suggest, the cause of the sinkhole remains unknown.

So what, if anything, does the sinkhole say about the general state of the municipality’s infrastructure?

Burnham said rotting tree roots could cause sinkholes, among other factors, but noted the cause of this sinkhole remains undetermined.

“I really don’t think that it’s necessarily a reflection of the municipality’s infrastructure, so much as just the natural environment that can impact our infrastructure,” she said.

Central Saanich Police Service Detective Jessica Craig said Tuesday afternoon that two passer-bys first reported the discovery Tuesday mid-afternoon. The incident did not cause any injuries to people or damage to private property.


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Wolf Depner

About the Author: Wolf Depner

I joined the national team with Black Press Media in 2023 from the Peninsula News Review, where I had reported on Vancouver Island's Saanich Peninsula since 2019.
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