The City of Saskatoon has reopened a section of Saskatchewan Crescent after shifting land created a 50-metre-long crater last year.

In April 2016, city workers closed down the street after shifting riverbank land slowly caused a massive hole in the pavement. Now, after spending almost $3 million on the project, city administration is convinced they've built a permanent solution.

"Geotech is not an exact science, but this repair is long-term," Saskatoon Water director Reid Corbett told CBC Radio's Saskatoon Morning. "This is a forever type of repair."

The money was used to build a large concrete and steel retaining wall to shore up the riverbank. As well, less-stable sandy soil was replaced with more-stable dirt.

"In the spring of 2016, we hired a geotech consulting firm, and they designed several options for us," said Corbett. "They determined a retaining wall system was the most cost-effective solution at this location."

Corbett said the past 10 years have been the wettest decade on record for the city. As massive amounts of rain fell, a "slip plane" — made up of sandy earth on top and sturdier clay at the bottom — was created, making the situation unstable.

As a result, city workers are now spending more time analyzing the riverbank, tracking slumping before it can be a problem.

"We're trying to look at areas to be more predictive on where the failures can be," he said. "Maybe there's proactive work that we can do, rather than reactive."

Meanwhile, the city hasn't forgotten about the lower section of the riverbank. Slumping there has closed a large section of the Meewasin Trail on the east side of the riverbank. Construction work on that section should start before winter.

Finally, the Meewasin Valley Authority has started planting trees and shrubs in front of the retaining wall. Corbett estimates it will take 10 years of growth before the wall becomes hidden by foliage.