Work on the Hwy. 16 sinkhole near Topley wrapped up mid July of this year. For approximately 10 weeks Hwy. 16 had alternating traffic.
As reported in the Lakes District News edition of May 2, 2012, the highway was closed to traffic on April 26, 2012, after a sink hole that spanned two lanes was detected.
The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure staff, along with contractors, discovered an underground culvert and erosion caused by spring run off that had created the depression.
Earlier this summer, Carl Lutz from Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure said, "The ministry is still processing the final costs, but our early project cost estimates were over $1 million." Lutz has now confirm costs at 1.5 million.
He went on to say, "Contractors used a temporary bridge to span the affected area and deep fill was excavated down to the old culvert. They then replace the culvert and new fill was place and compacted back up to the original grade and then the highway was repaved.