Construction on the Holland Creek crossing project has stalled as developer Lamont Land LP awaits the delivery of a culvert and multi-plate from Europe.
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Senior Development Manager, Scott Lamont, said that construction has progressed as far as it can without the missing infrastructure pieces.
Both the culvert and the multi-plate are held up in Poland. Steel shortages and global shipping issues are being blamed for the delay.
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“It’s still 10 plus weeks away from showing up,” Lamont said. “Like a lot of other people, we’re in a holding pattern on this right now waiting for the pieces to get shipped over.”
Once the delivery schedule for the culvert is finalized, Lamont will work to install the footings and the culvert. The crossing will then be supported by a mechanically stabilized earth wall, which will be planted with native plant species including sword fern, foam flower, salal, false lily-of-the-valley, licorice fern, tomcat clover. The roadside will be planted with 20 big leaf maple trees.
Lamont said that apart from the delay, construction has gone according to plan and that the delay won’t negatively impact Lamont’s on-site contractor. Construction has been stop-and-go since the beginning due to the Island’s rainy season. Data from Environment and Climate Change Canada shows that 189.3 millimetres of rain fell on the area in January, followed by 83.1 millimetres in February.
“We hope to be back in to maybe do some of the footing work in the next bit here, but we want to have the delivery schedule finalized,” Lamont said.
There will be ongoing environmental monitoring of the site while Lamont awaits the delivery of the culvert and multi-plate. Sooke-based environmental management company Corvidae will be monitoring the site on a weekly basis to notify the contractor if any environmental management or containment work is required.
Lamont said that there have been no instances of environmental contaminants impacting the surrounding environment during construction so far.