Saint John wants answers on Sand Cove Road in 8 weeks

Saint John city councillors have givenengineering staff eight weeks to come back with recommendations to deal with erosion and related slope failure that threatens homes in the Sand Cove area.

Land movement in the McLaren'sBeach area of the cove has caused at least three homes to move, busting foundations, bending wallsand breaking water lines.

Two other homes are on the brink of suffering damage.

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Sand Cove Road itself has been reduced to a single lane due to the instability.

In questions to city staff at Monday's council meeting, Coun.David Merrithew and other councillorstried to get a sense of the threat involved.

Are we in imminent danger of having this road and infrastructure, and perhaps homes collapse?- Coun. David Merrithew

"Are we in imminent danger of having this road and infrastructureand perhaps homes collapse?" asked Merrithew.

Mike Hugenholtz, a city engineer, said heis not willing to speculate, saying the one certainty is that the land movement will continue if nothing is done.

"You probably won't find anybody certainly not our consultant nor myself who would be in a position to predict exactly what's going to happen and when," said Hugenholtz.

Potential options include the construction of a berm or breakwater to limit erosion and, possibly, shore up the slope above.

A second option is to create a series of wells to help control water content in the soil.

Consideration will also be given to rerouting Sand Cove Road away from the slope area, but there are indications land may not be available to the city to easily exercise that option.

"That location does have some challenges in terms of property ownership and other issues," said acting city manager Neil Jacobsen.

Sand Cove Road is the only route to the homes and to the popular Irving Nature Park.