$107.2 million for NWT highway operations

By Derek Neary Northern News Services

The Department of Infrastructure has $107.2 million earmarked for highway operations this year, up from $104.9 million last year. There’s also $82.8 million set aside for capital projects, such as bridge and culvert construction.

Highway reconstruction and rehabilitation projects on the books for 2023-24 are:

Highway 1 – Mackenzie Highway and Mackenzie Valley winter road construction of Prohibition Creek access road (PCAR), phase one (km 0–6.7, starting at Canyon Creek bridge and going south). Work began November 2022, expected to be complete by October 2023.

Highway 1 – Mackenzie Highway

Rehabilitation work, including embankment widening and drainage improvement (km 222234). Work began September 2021, expected to be complete by August 2023.

Highway 2 – Hay River Highway Chipseal overlay (km 0-48). Work to begin June 2023, expected to be complete by September 2023.

Highway 3 – Yellowknife Highway

Highway surface repairs at selected sections (km 240-332). Work to begin June 2023, expected to be complete by September 2023.

Highway 4 – Ingraham Trail

Highway repairs and rehabilitation, including repairing dips, embankment widening, culvert replacement and chipseal (km 54-59). Work began in May 2021, expected to be com- plete by August 2023.

Highway 4 – Ingraham Trail Chipseal overlay (km 0-59). Work to begin June 2023, expected to be complete by September 2023.

Highway 5 – Fort Smith Highway Chipseal overlay (km 211-266). Work to begin June 2023, expected to be complete by September 2023.

Highway 7 – Liard Highway

Rehabilitation work, including embankment widening, aggregate production, ROW clearing, ditching, culvert replacement, subbase, base and SAST (km 19-34). Work began November 2021, expected to be complete by August 2023.

Highway 8 – Dempster Highway

Reconstruction, (km 242-245). Work to begin June 2023, expected to be complete by September 2023.

Highway 10 – Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk Highway

Reconstruction, including washboard and soft shoulder rehabilitation and raising of low-profile sections (km 27-29, 30-32, and 68-72). Work to begin June 2023, expected to be complete by September 2023.

Dettah access road

Chipseal overlay (km 0-6). Work to begin June 2023, expected to be complete by September 2023.

Whati access road Rehabilitation work, including embankment widening and culvert replacement, phase two (km 0-12). Work began May 2023, expected to be complete by September 2025.

Liard access road

Improvements, including resurfacing and chipseal (km 0-5). Work to begin November 2023, expected to be complete by August 2024.

Dehcho Bridge

Catwalk replacement (km 24) of Highway 3. Work to begin in summer 2023 and be complete by winter 2023.

Redknife River Bridge

Culverts (3) - replacement with bridge — funding by De Beers — (km 295). Start date TBD, expected to be complete by summer 2025. Bridge culvert replacement at km 680 of Highway 1. Work to start and end during summer 2023.

Bridge culvert replacement at km 176 of Highway 7. Work gets underway this year, expected to be complete in 2024.

Bridge culvert replacement at km 187 of Highway 7. Work to begin in summer 2023, expected to be complete by fall 2023.

Federal contributions

Although the Department of Infrastructure does not provide budget details for individual road projects, there are initiatives under the National Trade Corridor Fund in 2023-24 with dollar figures attached:

-Mackenzie Valley Highway environmental assessment and planning: $7.7 million

-Slave Geological Province access corridor: $7 million

-Great Bear River Bridge: $2.2 million

-Mount Gaudet access road: $366,000

Electric gears up

The GNWT is putting $1 million towards what’s known as the Electric Vehicles Fast Char- ger Corridor in 2023-24 as well as $200,00 for the Electric Vehicles Rebate Program. The fast charger corridor runs between Yellowknife and the Alberta border.

The territorial government also has $6.2 million designated for winter roads in 2023-24.

The Tibbitt to Contwoyto winter road, which stretches almost 400 km and is operated by a joint venture among the diamond mines, shut down for the season on April 4. The director of winter road operations said 6,557 loads of supplies were delivered to the mines in 2023, down from 7,295 loads in 2022.

Kivalliq road proposal

In Nunavut, there remains talk of connecting some Kivalliq communities via roads. Economic and Transportation Minister David Akeeagok again raised that prospect in the legislative assembly on March 8, stating that his department awarded a contract to an engineering consultant to prepare a report on all-season road connections between Arviat, Whale Cove, Rankin Inlet, Chesterfield Inlet and Baker Lake. The study is expected to come up with cost estimates and provide details on design, economic analysis, regulatory groundwork and community consultations.

“Although the geography, population, and economy of this part of the Kivalliq region are very promising for road construction, we still do not have sufficient information to say whether building road connections between these five communities would be a good investment,” Akeeagok said. “This project will provide the answers we are looking for and could help build the case for major capital funding.”