Yellowknife (Jan 10/07) - After last year's melt-down, mining companies hope to move a record number of loads up the Tibbitt to Contwoyto ice road.

Construction on the Tibbitt to Contwoyto ice road is on schedule despite warm temperatures in December, with hopes to start hauling the first of a planned 10,000 loads by the end of this month.

That would be the most ever. The previous record haul was 7,981 loads in the 2001 season.

Last year, 6,906 truckloads of supplies went up the road to the mines and exploration properties during 42 days of operations.

That was far less than the projected 9,200 loads.

As a result, mines had to fly in fuel and other supplies.

Ice road construction on the stretch running from the beginning of Tibbitt Lake to Gordon Lake has begun, said Tom Hoefer, spokesperson for the Joint Venture Management Committee.

Crews were able to do their work earlier than usual by using amphibious Haglund vehicles, he said.

"Going in a week earlier helped to keep us on track," he said.

Snow between Tibbitt and Gordon lakes was either packed or plowed and then flooded allowing ice to get up to a thickness of 16 inches, he said.

"Our whole intent is to get a nice ice thickness on the roads," he said.

Snowcats are now plowing that stretch and widening the road to 160 feet across, he said.

Ice road profiling and construction crews will continue to move North on the 568 km road to do profiling, flooding and construction work, he said.

With the ice road continuing to move North, two of the three rest stop/camp areas have opened up, said Hoefer.

The Dome Lake camp, 35 km from the beginning of the ice road, and the Lockhart Lake camp, 135 km past the first camp, are both now open, he said.

The Lac De Gras camp, will open when Nuna Logistics staff reach the 350 km mark on the road, he said. Nuna Logistics is again under contract with the Joint Venture Management Committee to build the seasonal lifeline, said Erik Madsen, director of winter road operations for the committee.

The company will employ 115 to125 workers during construction and maintenance of the road, he said.

Nuna employs a variety of workers including drivers, welders, mechanics, emergency medical technicians, multipurpose labourers and dispatchers, he said.

Kitikmeot Caterers, a partner with Nuna Logistics provides camp catering, janitorial services and housekeeping at the three camp locations along the ice road.

The committee also contracts security duties out to Securecheck, he said.

Moving supplies and fuel along the ice road is critical for De Beers Canada, said Cathie Bolstad, manager of public and corporate affairs.

A number of essential supplies needs to be moved to De Beers' Snap Lake project via the ice road, she said.

"It's an important part of our construction," she said.

Last year, the winter ice road cost more than $10 million to build and maintain.