DEH CHO - Recent rainfall is causing ongoing problems with Highway 7.

On June 7, the highway also known as the Liard Trail, was closed for a third time in less than a month.

A sign spray-painted on a sheet of plywood cautions drivers at the Checkpoint junction that Highway 7 is closed again to traffic. - photo courtesy of Sean Whelly

Crews were expecting to have a good portion of the repairs done to allow for one lane of traffic in the sections under construction by June 11, said Peter Buell, the regional superintendent of transportation. Originally it was estimated the road could be closed for at least a week.

The Liard Trail has been a source of continuing frustration for local motorists and people who rely on trucked supplies.

"The people here are getting really frustrated with it," said Wayne Newbury, the mayor of Fort Liard.

The road closures have effected travel and also mail service to the hamlet. Canada Post has rerouted mail coming out of the hamlet to the south instead of Fort Simpson.

Mail is taking extra days to reach its destination especially if it's in the territory, said Newbury.

Local businesses are also being affected because they've been told not to send parcels until the road is reopened.

The state of the highway was an ongoing concern for the community before it was closed.

"Even when it was open it was in terrible shape," Newbury said.

"We've been dealing with it for quite some time."

There's a widely held view the road is in its best shape in the winter when everything's frozen, said Newbury.

It might be slippery but it's a smooth ride, he said.

The highway's closure and what can be done will be a key topic at this week's hamlet council meeting, he added.

The highway was originally closed between May 22 to 26 when heavy rains made two sections impassable.

The road was reopened to light traffic but was closed again on May 31 after further rainfall led to deteriorating conditions.

On June 4 one lane of the road was reopened to light traffic.

Rainfall over the weekend that continued early into the following week led to the latest closure, said Peter Buell.

"It's in very poor condition," he said.

The problem area is between kilometres 100 to 126.

As frost comes out of the ground in the spring it usually softens sections in the highway but this year heavy rains have exacerbated the problem.

Work by the Department of Transportation and Beaver Enterprises Ltd., the company with the maintenance contract for the highway was delayed by subsequent rainfall.

To repair the road the gravel top has to be removed revealing the underlying road material.

With the road opened all the rain reaches the foundation immediately turning it into mud, said Buell.

"In trying to get the road fixed up it's susceptible to even smaller amounts of rain," he said.

Soil underlying the road will be tilled to allow it to air and dry, said Larry Purcka, the manager of technical services for the highways division.

When the soil is dry enough it will be compacted and gravel will be put on top.

A project manager from technical services was expected to arrive in the Deh Cho on June 11 to assist in the process.

"We certainly want to get this road open to the public as soon as possible," he said.

"We just need some help from somebody as far as the rain goes."

Later in the season a further project is being planned to rehabilitate and resurface the highway.

Approximately two inches of gravel will be put on 20 to 25 kilometres of the road to address the worst sections, said Purcka.

In areas that have failed four to six inches will be added as soon as it's open to the public.

The rehabilitation project will be contracted out.There is funding earmarked in the proposed territorial budget for the highway.

Under the Canadian Strategic Infrastructure Fund, which is in its last year, there is $2 million for the highway that will be concentrated on the section from the British Columbia border to Fort Liard, said Purcka.

There's also an additional $1 million that is part of approximately $6 million in funding over the next four years.

This money is part of strategic infrastructure investment, Purcka said.

The funding is to be used for any area of the highway up to the junction at Checkpoint.

All of the funding is dependent on the budget being passed as presented, Purcka said.