Souris causeway not in immediate danger: chief engineer

Major erosion of the shoreline around the causeway in Souris, P.E.I., has alarms being raised by local politicians and has P.E.I. Transportation officials taking a close look at the problem.

• Souris causeway damage leads to calls for permanent fix

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​Damage to the shoreline around the causeway from a storm last week had local officials shocked and worried that the causeway may be one storm away from being washed out.

But the P.E.I. transportation department's chief engineer, Stephen Yeo, is assessing the damage and said while the causeway took a beating, he does not think it is in imminent danger. 

"Part of the dune is still there, and I'm not overly concerned at this point in time," said Yeo, reviewing photos from provincial staff who visited the causeway yesterday. 

"But we'll certainly have a look and plan for the future to see how we're going to protect the area in question."

The province will still take a hard look at whether something needs to be done to protect the causeway, said Yeo, adding he plans to head to Souris on Wednesday to see the damage himself. 

He's also consulting with an Ontario oceanographer who's studied the Souris coastline. 

"They're the experts as far as wind and sand movement in the area," said Yeo. "They can tell us the effect that another storm or multiple storms would have in the area. So that's how we'll decide what the approach will be." 

Expensive long-term fix

There are a couple of approaches the province could take. Yeo said they could simply wait and see what happens, or spend hundreds of thousands of dollars building some sort of rock wall along the shore — something the department has done in Tignish and Alberton to protect roads from eroding coastlines. 

"When we do that, that's a permanent fix. It'll last for many years ahead, so it really stops or reduces erosion in that area," said Yeo. 

If the department decided to go ahead with a rock wall, it will take weeks to get the plans in place, according to Yeo. 

Another storm could come as early as this weekend. 

Some already took to social media with criticism of the province's handling of the situation: