Another slumping slope along Saskatoon's riverbank has forced contractors to close a street near the east end of the University Bridge.

On Monday, contractors blocked off the intersection of Saskatchewan Crescent and 16th Street to take a closer look at the slope instability that's already forced closures of the Meewasin Valley Authority trails and portions of the sidewalk.

Homeowners in the area woke up to leaflets in their mailboxes detailing why the road was closed and what contractors were doing in the area.

Residents can expect traffic restrictions throughout the month with drilling and installation of monitoring devices in the soil to track movement. In Phase One of the project, Golder Associates will gather data to develop a remediation plan for the city. The city expects to have a detailed design selected by July 2016 but the work could be pushed for another year if unexpected delays are encountered.

On March 21, Saskatoon city council passed a resolution awarding a contract to Golder Associates Ltd. to develop a remediation plan for the 16th Street riverbank slope instability. The contract was for engineering services on the slope along the riverbank at a cost of $409,090.

City report says area has history of slumping

The report to council states the riverbank along Saskatchewan Crescent and 16th Street has had a history of instability, and slumping over the past two years has forced the Meewasin Valley Authority trails to be closed in the area. Continued slumping has also caused cracks on the roadway and forced the city to close portions of the sidewalk in the area.

Cracks along the roadway forced contractors to close a portion of Saskatchewan Crescent East at 16th Street to study a slumping slope along the riverbank. (CBC News) The slope instability was first noticed in June 2012 along the Meewasin pathways between 15th and 16th Streets. In May and June of 2014, tension cracks were noticed along the upper and lower Meewasin trails along Saskatchewan Crescent.

The city said the slope will be monitored during the spring and summer. If conditions worsen, the road will be closed permanently.

This is the latest slope problem the city has been forced to deal with. Over the past few years residents along Saskatchewan Crescent by Rotary Park have seen their backyards pushed in because of slope instability between 11th Street East and Cherry Lane.