With a geotechnical assessment now complete, contractors for the Ministry of Transportation have stabilized a precarious precipice at Porteau Cove and begun the blasting and removal of 16,000 cubic metres of debris off Highway 99 resulting from a rockslide late Tuesday night (July 29). On Wednesday (July 30), B.C.'s Department of Fisheries and Oceans gave the go-ahead to sweep the debris into nearby Howe Sound. Although construction work was not linked to the slide, criticism over the Sea to Sky Improvement Project is nonetheless being leveled at the Ministry of Transportation over its failure to have a contingency plan, and its decision to cut costs by not expanding this portion of the highway."It's a very expensive area to upgrade and I am hopeful that the province and the ministry will reconsider that decision at this time," said Acting Mayor Greg Gardner. With travellers stranded, BC Ferries looked into setting up a service at Darrell Bay, but the service has yet to begin. Gardner said a ferry was proposed to address this eventuality during the Olympic bid process, but VANOC rejected it. "It's troubling that we don't have at least to this point identified a usable ferry terminal in Squamish," he said."I just want to make sure we can identify such a site prior to an event like this happening again, not after the event happens."The provincial NDP Party has also taken to the opportunity to voice criticism."The massive rockslide on the Sea-to-Sky highway is a wake-up call that shows the need to release the long-awaited transportation contingency plan in case such an incident occurs during the 2010 games, the New Democrats said today," states a Thursday (July 30) party news release.No missing or overdue persons have been reported following the rockslide that occurred around 11 p.m. Tuesday (July 29), and RCMP are "optimistic" that the clean up will reveal no victims. "We won't be 100 per cent sure until the clean up is done," said Cpl. Dave Ritchie. "We did an extensive search with two dogs yesterday, we've done shoreline and flyovers with helicopters and the coast guard boat looking any oil spills or seepage, we haven't located anything."Although no injuries were reported following the 11:18 p.m. slide, it was a near miss for at least one bus driver. A 10 p.m. northbound Perimeter shuttle bus out of Vancouver airport narrowly escaped being crushed by the slide."We are feeling a little blessed today," said Perimeter vice president Mike Cafferky. "We have a blessed driver."The driver of the bus heard a rumble and took evasive action, Cafferky said. "We're lucky he was alert."Three out of the four side windows were struck by falling rock, and the vehicle also sustained some damage to the fibreglass on the side. The bus was only carrying one passenger, who was shaken from the incident. Southwestern Provincial Emergency Program regional manager Greg Kanya said his organization along with the local Emergency Operations Centre is ensuring medical emergencies can be transported to the Lower Mainland. So far, one patient was airlifted from the makeshift helipad on the Oceanfront Lands.
