Richard Gleeson
Northern News Services

NNSL (Nov 13/98) - Trips between Ingraham Trail residences and the city are taking a few minutes longer than usual these days because of construction near the Yellowknife River bridge.

Work is being done to smooth out a curve just west of the Yellowknife River Bridge. The curve is being straightened out by rerouting the road. Though the work is far from complete, the new route is plainly visible.

"We're fixing up the geometry of that curve, but we're limited by the money we have available," said Rob Nelson, acting director of highways and engineering for the territorial Department of Transportation.

"We won't have the money to finish it until the year 2000, so, next summer, you won't see much change. We're hoping to finish it the summer after that."

Just about all of the $500,000 currently budgeted for the work will be used up within the next few weeks, he said.

Nelson said the curve, at the top of the hill leading down to the bridge as drivers head down the Trail, was identified as the top safety concern on the road.

Transportation crews are doing preliminary work on a project that will reroute the trail, straightening out the last curve on the city side of the bridge.

The road is being rerouted through rocky area near a quarry used during construction of the new Yellowknife River Bridge.

Once completed, the new portion of the road will join the existing road just before the bridge.