NORTHWEST TERRITORIES
NWT residents say they're concerned about the high volume of tractor-trailers now using winter roads in the territory.
Development in the Sahtu region means hundreds of transport trucks are using the winter road system.
"It's been a bit of a tsunami for everyone here," said Brad Enge, Pehdzeh Ki First Nation band manager in Wrigley. "I think it caught everyone off guard about the enormous amount of traffic."
In the past, the roads saw much less traffic, said Fred Lamb, acting regional manager of highway operations for the territorial Department of Transportation.
It was mainly used by residents travelling to other places, fuel trucks coming in to re-supply communities and trucks carrying groceries and supplies needed for construction season.
"Three years ago it was fairly normal traffic," Lamb said.
Now, Lamb estimates at least 1,500 transport trucks trips will take place on the territory's winter roads this year - almost all of which serving the oil and gas industry.
"I think the total number of trips this year could approach 1,500 or 1,600," Lamb said.
That number has Sahtu MLA Norman Yakeleya concerned.
Yakeleya said the roads were not constructed to support hundreds of tractor-trailers, particularly when it comes to sharing them with residents in smaller vehicles.
"We need that winter road to do our shopping," he said. "Our roads are not built for that type of congestion."
Yakeleya said road conditions and the sheer number of trucks using the road are making it unsafe.
"It's scary out there," he said.
Enge said local drivers are not used to dealing with trucks on such a large scale.
"We still see a lot of heavy industrial traffic heading north and south along the winter road that affects the residents who historically used that road to get to some of the communities north of us," he said. "In the past, they never had to really concern themselves with too much tractor trailer traffic."
Enge said sharing the road with large tractor-trailers can be dangerous.
"It increases the risk of running off the road accidentally," he said. "When those big trucks go by, you're blinded by a blanket of snow. If you're not stopped, you're in danger."
There were 112 collisions on the territory's roads reported to the Department of Transportation in 2012, though not all numbers have been calculated yet, according to the department.
In 2011, there were 124 collisions reported.
Numbers for the 2013 season are not yet available.
Enge said he is aware of nine minor accidents near Wrigley this season, including trucks "jackknifing" or drivers losing control.
Yakeleya said people are also worried about truck drivers on winter roads for the first time.
"Green" drivers used to driving on paved roadways are often unprepared for NWT winter driving conditions.
"They don't know what they're getting into," he said. "That causes some concerns for people who are using the roads."
Lamb said there is no mandatory training in place for truck drivers new to the territory. As long as they have their proper licensing and requirements to operate their vehicles, they are free to use the roads.
Lamb said even experienced drivers can be rookies when it comes to driving winter roads for the first time.
"A person can have a world of experience, millions of miles on other types of roads then get to the Mackenzie Valley and find their skill level is inadequate," he said.
But, Lamb said using common sense and taking advice from more experienced truckers can mitigate possible accidents.
"It's drivers, whether they're new or not new, that don't follow good common sense practices that get into problems," he said.
Ron Dickson, owner of Dickson's Trucking, said he has heard there is a demand for truckers across Canada, not just in the North.
"We're going to get more and more green drivers," he said.
Dickson said while he believes training or a probationary period for truckers new to the NWT would be beneficial, training would have to be completed before new drivers arrive to begin work. He said because the window of opportunity to travel on ice roads is so short, there simply isn't time to train drivers.
"It's gotta be done before they get here," he said. "We don't have time to train somebody. The big rush for the winter road is approximately eight weeks," he said.
Dickson also said common sense plays a large role in making the roads safe.
"It all comes down to the common sense of the driver," he said. "You drive to road conditions."
Dickson said safety could be improved by increasing cellphone service coverage.
Currently, cellphone coverage exists in pockets at various points on the road, Lamb said.
Lamb said while trucks formerly used private radio channels to communicate, the department required all trucks to use the LADD1 radio frequency this year.
This allows truckers from all companies to share information, such as when trucks are approaching bridge crossings.
Some Wrigley residents who travel the road have also purchased radios to keep track of trucks, Enge said.
Lamb said the department also installed signage at local features, such as creeks, so drivers can use place names when broadcasting their locations.
Additional signage has been posted at curves and hills.
Lamb also said two sets of tire chains are now required for trucks heading north from Wrigley.
"It does slow them down and chews the roads up, but it gives them more ability to control their trucks, to stop, to avoid having to take runs at hills, which are always problematic," said Lamb.
However, Enge said the chains cut ruts into the ice, making road maintenance problematic.
"It's difficult to maintain the road in safe driving condition because of the extensive use of chained tires and the heavy industrial loads," he said. "Those tire chains tend to chew up the ice quite drastically."
He said the resulting grooves in the road can be treacherous for smaller vehicles.
"A small vehicle has to pull over, the next thing you know half the tire is buried in a rut left behind by heavy industrial traffic," Enge said.
Yakeleya said he wants the territorial government to meet with development companies and communities to work on safety plans.
He said ideally, he would like to see a system in place where companies inform communities when high volumes of truck traffic are expected on the road.
Enge said he agreed. He said even a recorded message with information about traffic volumes would help.
"There has to be a better system in place so any member of the general public can phone in and get an up-to-date report on what kind of traffic is going to be on the road on certain dates," he said. "They can plan ahead of time to minimize their exposure."
Lamb said while groundwork is not yet in place, there are plans to talk to industry about partnering to monitor the road.
He said this could include establishing a checkpoint near Wrigley where commercial vehicle drivers would register and provide information about their cargo, such as weight and type of load, before they head out onto the ice road.
Yakeleya said with industry expanding, the territory needs to invest more dollars into its winter roads.
"We as a government are only putting $3 million in infrastructure in our winter roads," he said. "We're saying, 'Welcome, come and spend,' but we're not giving back to support that investment."
Constructing and maintaining the winter roads costs about $2.2 million annually, according to the Department of Transportation.
