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Delayed again

Heavy traffic causes more problems at Fort Providence

Tara Kearsey
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Dec 20/00) - The ferry at Fort Providence is back in service, but those planning to head across the Mackenzie River can expect more delays.

Traffic jams have slowed things down since the ferry went back in service Dec. 14. Some truckers working for RTL Enterprises have reported waiting as long as 30 hours to cross the river.

RTL owner Marvin Robinson said at one point 60 trucks were waiting in line.

"Right now, as we speak ... there is at least a five hour delay for the trucks that are coming now and it's expected that by 6:00 tonight they will be sitting there eight hours before they can come across," Robinson said Monday afternoon.

The delays are costing RTL Enterprises about $5,000 a day to bring in relief crews and foot the bill for extra fuel costs.

But what concerns Robinson the most is his customers are hearing from Department of Transportation officials that there is only a two-hour delay for truckers waiting to cross the Mackenzie River.

"It's a long ways from two hours, so (our customers) are a long way from understanding why the trucks are taking sometimes three days to get here."

Les Shaw, the GNWT's director of Marine Services said he expects traffic will be backed up until Christmas.

"It's just heavy traffic volume due to industry that's going on in Yellowknife right now.

"If it was just the groceries and stuff that was on the road we wouldn't have any problems at all."

Shaw said there may also be some added delays because of maintenance work being conducted at the channel. Other than that, he said it should be smooth sailing for the Merv Hardie from now until the ice bridge opens.

"There shouldn't be any problem now unless the water starts dropping, but we have no control over that.