Yellowknife (May 12/06) - The Fort Providence ferry is scheduled to cross the river today.

"From the reports I've gotten, it will be open Friday morning," said South Slave Department of Transportation (DOT) superintendent Art Barnes on Wednesday.

Crews tested the Merv Hardie ferry throughout the week, checking equipment and clearing the landings where the ferry docks on each side of the Mackenzie River.

The department's ferry information hotline warned drivers to be cautious when approaching the ferry because the landings are slippery.

Business owners are excited by the prospect of new traffic coming through since the closure of the ice road about a month ago.

"It's kind of boring around here with no road," said part owner of the Big River gas bar, Don Plante.

The ferry's service usually opens around this time of year, said Barnes.

"I think the (ferry crossing) opened the same time last year," he said.

The official start last year was May 16.

The ferry will operate on its regular schedule from 6 a.m. to 12 a.m. Barnes said service could be interrupted later in the month if large amounts of ice flow from Great Slave Lake into the Mackenzie River, blocking the ferry's path. The ferry crossings at Ndulee to Wrigley, Liard River near Fort Simpson, Peel River near Fort McPherson, and the Mackenzie River near Tsiigehtchic are all still closed.