Whitehorse had its 3rd landslide of the year over the long weekend

The City of Whitehorse says another small landslide happened in Whitehorse over the long weekend. 

Robert Service Way was closed for landslide prevention as of Friday evening, officials said. The latest landslide — the third so far this year — happened between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Sunday. 

"As early as May 16th, crews doing safety inspections began to notice movement in an area of concern," the city said in a statement. "According to data from the slope scanner, these movements intensified on May 21st resulting in a small landslide."

The city said roughly 500 cubic metres of earth spilled over the cliff face of Robert Service Way — a load that would fill roughly 36 standard dump trucks. 

Oshea Jephson, a spokesperson for the city, said crews were proactive, which prevented any injuries or incident. 

"We did close the roads to ensure that in the event something happened, we had the ability to respond," Jephson told CBC on Tuesday. 

The road was reopened to traffic on Tuesday morning. The city, however, is keeping portions of the Millennium Trail and other trails in the area closed. 

"The city would not be reopening Robert Service Way if it didn't believe that the road was safe," Jephson said.  

"If our contractors indicate that it does become more risky then we would close the road. So people can rest assured that we are watching it every day. And we are keeping it open only as long as we believe that it's safe."

Robert Service Way was closed for about five weeks after a landslide from the adjacent clay cliffs covered part of it on April 8. The road re-opened to two-lane traffic from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily a little more than a week ago. 

Jephson said all slides have happened in the same area this year. The land's condition, he added, can change rapidly, forcing regular inspections to ensure the continued safety of road users.

The city said it's monitoring several areas that could potentially cause risk while looking to a 24/7 opening of Robert Service Way if conditions allow.