Scott Crabbe
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Jan 28/00) - The 670-kilometre stretch of ice road that runs between the north end of the Ingraham trail and the Lupin Mine has opened to light traffic.

Nuna Logistics constructed the road this year under the co-management of Lupin mine owner Echo Bay Mines and BHP, owner of the Ekati diamond mine.

"Nuna crews are working around the clock night and day," said Echo Bay logistics manager Kirk McLellan.

"The (lake) and portage routes are being flooded and levelled out. Temperatures being between -16 and -20 doesn't make ideal conditions for making ice, but it's coming along," McLellan said.

Presently the private ice road only caters to a weight maximum of approximately 28,000 kilograms. The weight maximum for the majority of the B-train, trucks and five axil vans will tip the scales at 55,000 kilograms.

An expected 131,000 tonnes of fuel, explosives and equipment will be hauled up the road. The anticipated total weight of loads are up from last year by 75 per cent due to the tentative opening of Diavik.

"We're expecting (approx.) 3,000 loads this year," McLellan said.

"Last year at 57 000 tons we had 1,844 loads."

While the ice road generally runs for 65 days it may remain open longer depending on the Diavik mine. The road offers mines a cheap alternative for shipping goods north rather than air transport, the only method possible the rest of the year.