Philippe Morin
Northern News Services
Published Monday, September 24, 2007

INUVIK - A section of the Dempster Highway collapsed on Sept. 20, creating a gap several metres wide.

The slide happened when a metal culvert failed.

Authorities stopped travellers in Fort McPherson and Tsiigehtchic on Sept. 20, telling them to expect delays. -Philippe Morin/NNSL photo

Regional superintendant for the Department of Transport Gurdev Jagpal said it might be related to permafrost.

He said culverts are checked for strength once a year in the spring, and the Caribou Creek culvert had passed its latest inspection.

But at the scene on Sept. 21, opinions were mixed.

"Most likely it's metal fatigue. Like everything else, it wears out," speculated Northwind industries worker John Norberg, as he examined the damage.

The collapse happened at Caribou Creek, which is between Inuvik and Tsiigehtchic.

On Sept. 21, workers from local construction companies were busy hauling gravel through rain and snow.

They were preparing to cross a nearby creek with a large corrugated metal pipe, which would then be covered in gravel to create an alternate route.

Norberg, who works highway maintenance for Northwind Industries, said this was the worst collapse he'd ever seen on the Dempster Highway since he helped build it originally in the early 1970s.

"I've never seen anything like this," he said.

Joe Cooke, who works for the department of transport, supported the idea that the culvert itself was to blame.

"It's been there since 1973, it's an old pipe," he said.

Sean McCarthy, who works for Mackenzie Valley Construction, said traffic would be resumed quickly.

"We expect to have traffic going by tonight, or tomorrow morning. We'll keep working until it's done," he said.

According to Jagpal, a permanent bridge would be installed over the gap, rather than clear out all the debris and install a new culvert.

"First we'll build a temporary bridge. Then we'll replace with a permanent structure," he said.

While this case was unusually large, he said the Dempster Highway usually suffers five to eight culvert failures a year.

As of press time on Sept. 21, there was no estimate as to the cost of repairs.