Coquitlam construction incident under investigation, company says
Posted December 1, 2023 12:44 pm.
Last Updated December 3, 2023 4:04 pm.
The construction company involved in a Coquitlam site where a retention wall collapsed Wednesday says the incident is under investigation.
Amacon says in a statement to CityNews a section of the shoring retention “failed,” which then resulted “in soil collapsing into the excavated site and a cavity in the soil in the area adjacent to the property.”
“All work on site had attained the required permits, and thoroughly vetted and monitored by the geotechnical and engineering consultants,” Stepan Vdovine, vice president of executive operations, said in an email.
What exactly caused the failure at the site on Foster Avenue near North Road is not yet clear, though the company says it’s looking into it.
As was confirmed by WorkSafeBC on Thursday, no one was hurt when the wall collapsed. Amacon says the agency “has been on site and has expressed no concern regarding site safety.”
“In addition, no immediate infrastructure damage is apparent. We are working with the City of Coquitlam and all relevant agencies and authorities on immediate remediation. Work will continue around the clock. As a precautionary measure to ensure public safety, the 500 block of Foster Street will remain closed to traffic and pedestrians until all appropriate safety approvals are received,” Vdovine’s statement continued.
“We sincerely apologize to local residents for any inconvenience as we work diligently to secure the site.”
Video shared online of the wall collapse shows cracks spreading in the wall before a large portion of the it gives out. Debris and dirt crash to the ground below, leaving behind a large exposed near some scaffolding.
The City of Coquitlam said Thursday it had closed Foster Avenue between North Road and Whiting Way “for safety reasons.”
-With files from Monika Gul and Srushti Gangdev
