by Glen Korstrom
Northern News Services

NNSL (Mar 09/98) - To extend the winter road season, the Transportation Department has increased capital spending for winter roads by almost 50 per cent, from $500,000 to $700,000.

The money will go toward bridge construction and increasing the size of snow collection areas near stream crossings.

There are 43 stream crossings on the North's entire winter road system and seven permanent bridges. Every year the Department of Transportation removes about seven portable bridges as soon as their icy counterparts are ready.

Over the next five years, the GNWT is planning to install five more permanent bridges, each costing between $500,000 and $750,000.

At current funding levels, and assuming one permanent bridge is installed per year, a permanent link along the entire Mackenzie Valley and Deline winter road systems would take 30 years.

But since the roads are ice and snow now, the usual concern about conditions remains.

Winter weight tolerances are currently in effect on all NWT highways 1 through 8.

The winter axle tolerance permits an additional 500 kilograms per axle, excluding the steering axle.

A, B and C trains are allowed an axle tolerance, but not an increase in gross vehicle weight. All are subject to bridge and ice restrictions.

The following winter roads are open to the following load limits:

Nahanni Butte	50,000 kg
Dettah Ice Road	40,000 kg
Trout Lake	5,000 kg until further notice
Wrigley to Tulita	64,000 kg with isolated rough spots
Tulita to Deline	42,000 kg
Tulita to Norman Wells	64,000
N. Wells to Fort Good Hope	64,000
Wha Ti	34,000 kg
Rae Lakes	24,000 kg

The following ice crossings are open to the following load limits:

Liard River Crossing	64,000 kg
Fort Providence Crossing	64,000 kg
N'Dulee (Camsell Bend)	64,000 kg

Until further notice the Trout Lake winter road has been reduced to 5,000 kg and is open to light traffic only.