GNWT getting its ice work underway
Department of Transportation aims to get crossings, winter road open by Christmas
April Hudson
Northern News Services
Thursday, December 1, 2016
DEH CHO
Work on the Liard ice bridge to Fort Simpson and the crossing to Nahanni Butte began Nov. 26.
Crew members flood the ice crossing to Fort Simpson with a typhoon pump on Nov. 29. The crossing is expected to be open to light traffic around Dec. 10. - April Hudson/NNSL photo
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According to the Department of Transportation, ice measurements and flooding of the crossings are ongoing.
Dustin Dewar, regional highway manager for the Deh Cho, said on Nov. 29 that the department is aiming to get the ice crossings open before Christmas, as well as Sambaa K'e's winter road.
The Liard crossing currently has crews working typhoon pumps to flood it, and Dewar said the department expects a similar opening date to 2015, when it opened around Dec. 10.
"Things have been progressing quite well," Dewar said.
"We're looking at light traffic around the same time (as last year) - that'll be one lane open first, just to get residents travelling back and forth."
From there, the department will work on opening a second lane and then increasing the load-bearing capacity of the ice.
Equipment delivery depends on crossing
While residents of Nahanni Butte are working on their crossing, Dewar said the community typically waits for equipment such as snow cats to arrive from Fort Simpson.
"There's a significant amount of rubble ice which needs heavy equipment to knock down a path for passenger vehicles," he explained.
The arrival of that equipment depends on the opening of Fort Simpson's crossing. Dewar estimated the snow cats would be able to drive across the Liard River between Dec. 15 and 20 to head for Nahanni Butte.
The community will be looking at a similar opening date to last year as well.
"Last year, we had it open Dec. 22, which was a little late. Depending on when the Liard ice crossing gets up to eight, it could be a little sooner. The intent is to have Nahanni Butte's ice bridge open before Christmas," Dewar said.
Sambaa K'e winter road waits for snow
Construction has yet to begin on the winter road to Sambaa K'e, thanks to a lack of snow.
Dewar said the department needs 10 centimetres of compacted snow in order to construct the road.
"There's not quite enough snow yet to begin work on that Sambaa K'e winter road," he said.
That should change in the next 10 days he added.
Once work begins, it usually takes a week for construction to be completed.
Late start may mean deeper freeze
However, a late start to that road could be good news once winter winds down. Dewar said a lack of snow also means the frost can penetrate deeper into the ground, reducing the chance of muskeg failing to freeze.
That was an issue the department ran into last year.
"We don't anticipate that this year. We have good frost penetration on that winter road and we just need the snow cover now," he said.
Last year, the winter road opened Dec. 21. Dewar said it could open a little earlier this year depending on when the snow flies.
