RC106 MayJune2023 - Magazine - Page 17
KEVIN HENSHAW – LEAD ENGINEER, HYDROTECHNICAL
“For me, Jones Creek was perhaps the most
exciting because we were on site and involved in making on-the-fly decisions while
there was a significant threat of another
major highway washout.
Located on Highway 1 near Laidlaw (17 kilometres
southwest of Hope), the initial avulsion of the river diverted the flow overland, bypassing the existing highway
bridge, and into separate culverts. We were notified of the
issues on November 26 and team members Michael Bird
and Chris Coles deployed to the site immediately, providing detailed observations that night.
The next day, November 27, we were called into an
emergency MoTI meeting because another flow event
was taking place, threatening washout of the culverts and
Highway 1. Continuous discussion and analysis carried
on through that weekend. Two days later, Michael and
Chris were back on site reviewing the changing conditions and strategizing options. We completed our analysis
and provided recommendations to MoTI for immediate
action the next day. On December 1, actions were implemented with construction on site. Chris was back on site
to help direct the construction effort to divert creek flows
back under the bridge. On December 2, emergency construction was complete and working as intended.
At Jones Creek, we had a real role in providing rapid
response on site and, through close collaboration with the
MoTI team and on-the-fly analysis, we were able to propose and implement a solution that led to the highway
being saved.”
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MAY/JUNE 2023 – RENEW CANADA 17
