Ground breaks on winter road
Northern News Services
Wednesday, January 18, 2017
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
The winter road connecting the Bullmoose-Ruth Remediation Project with Yellowknife may have gotten underway this month, but don't rev your engines just yet: a lot needs to be done before vehicles get the green light to use it.
"Pre-construction of the winter road includes clearing brush from portages," stated Ron Breadmore, project manager of the Bullmoose-Ruth Remediation Project in an e-mail to Yellowknifer. "The first step in building the ice road will be to profile the ice to confirm ice quality and thickness."
But building an ice road isn't as simple as just laying down a track.
"Snow is then cleared from the lakes and reduced on the portages to improve freezing. The lakes are flooded where needed to build ice thickness. The portages are snow packed and flooded, creating a solid ice base to protect the underlying ground," stated Breadmore. "In some areas, portages are further cleared of brush or overhanging trees that could create a safety hazard. This work continues throughout the season in order to maintain the road in a safe and efficient condition."
According to the permits approved by the Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Board for the project, the overland portions of the winter roads must have a minimum of 10 centimeters of packed snow and ice in order to minimize the environmental impact of the winter road. While the permits don't specify minimums over ice, Breadmore said the winter road builder - in this case, Rowe's-Outcome Joint Venture - will follow industry best practices for ice road construction, as set out by the GNWT.
The quality of the road matters, as that will dictate how the road can be used.
"The load-bearing strength of the ice (quality and thickness) will determine how much weight can be transported on each load," stated Breadmore.
The road will primarily be used to transport material and equipment to and from the mine sites, as part of the remediation project.
It is expected to be completed by the end of February, and be operational for three weeks in March.
