Saskatchewan’s river valleys contain numerous unstable slopes subject to landslides, across which
roads, railways, pipelines and other infrastructure are aligned. An erosional failure at a river bend along
the Haultain River valley slope was posing a hazard to the highway integrity. Through the Saskatchewan
Ministry of Highway’s Geohazard Risk Management Program (GRMP), the site was evaluated and
assigned a risk level of urgent due to the rate of erosion and potential impact on the highway. Mitigation
of the site instability included technical design, construction supervision, and quality assurance and
quality control. Finally, recommendations for maintaining optimal operational conditions of the drainage
system and the highway were made. This case study demonstrates an example of a strategic drainage
system reconfiguration resulting in an effective mitigation that reduced site risk and restored the
geotechnical integrity of this segment of Highway 914.
