Yellowknife (Apr 21/06) - Premier Joe Handley has proposed a $50 million extension to the Ingraham Trail to help diamond mines and exploration companies working on the Barrens.

Speaking to the Yellowknife Chamber of Commerce Tuesday, Handley said a 50-km all-weather road extension of the Ingraham Trail could go to the south end of Gordon Lake. The road would bypass a troublesome section of the winter road to the mines and could help extend the ice road season, said Handley.

It was problems with this section of road at White Lake that led to the early closure of the Tibbitt to Contwoyto ice road. Only 6,900 of 9,000 planned truckloads of supplies for mines and exploration companies made it up the ice road this year.

Some companies may have to resort to expensive air shipments to get the rest of their supplies.

Handley said the road should also help keep all resupply routes for the mines coming through Yellowknife, because a proposal for a Bathurst Inlet port and road could result in supplies being moved by ship through the Kitikmeot, rather than by road through Yellowknife. "I'm concerned about the road coming down from the Arctic. There would be very little benefit to business here," said Handley.

As well, he said the road extension would help attract new mineral exploration companies to the region.

"No one is going to go in and do exploration if there is no way of getting anything out," Handley said.

While some of the estimated $50 million cost of the road could come from potential resource revenue money from the federal government, he would also look to industry.

"I'm not saying this should be all government," he said.