SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Despite warm weather coming this week, the director of the Tibbitt-to-Contwoyto ice road said it won't upset their schedule to have the last loads on the road to the mines north of Yellowknife by this weekend.

Erik Madsen, director of the Tibbitt-to-Contwoyto ice road, said the temporary road reaching its target thickness early this winter due to colder temperatures has been the main reason they have been able to complete their work with ease. Madsen said as of Monday morning, 6,800 loads had travelled the road, amounting to some 220,000 tonnes. - NNSL file photo

Erik Madsen, director in charge of operations on the ice road, said as of Monday morning 6,800 loads had been hauled along the 568-km long winter road, delivering approximately 220,000 tonnes of fuel and equipment for the diamond mines located north of Yellowknife.

This nearly doubles last year's totals. In 2010, some 3,930 loads made it up the road for a total of 121,000 tonnes.

"As far as where we sit I think the last of the fuel loads are leaving today to go to the mine sites," Madsen said Monday afternoon. "The remaining freight will start trickling down this week and the last loads will be going north Friday and Saturday."

Madsen said with colder weather early on in the winter season, the road was able to be opened earlier, allowing them to get loads on the road a lot quicker than expected. The road usually opens at the beginning of February, but this year, the road was opened in late January. Madsen said the ice has been thicker than usual. In fact, he said it could be the thickest they've seen in a long time. On the south end of the road, Madsen said thickness is in the range of 43 to 44 inches and in some places, upward of 55 to 60 inches.

"We got to the (necessary) ice thickness earlier and we were able to haul more early," he said. "It's been an excellent team effort by everyone. The cold weather, we've had the thickest ice we've had in years – if ever. It's assisted us greatly."

Madsen said it's been a smooth winter road season, adding they haven't encountered any problems getting loads to and from the mine sites. He said the last series of road closures will happen mid-week in order for larger loads to make the trek from the mine back to Yellowknife.

"We've got our last road closure that's going to move some loads Tuesday night and Wednesday," he said, adding they need to move five loads south from Diavik and two loads into the BHP Billiton mine site.

Even with the warmer weather this week – expected to be just below zero – Madsen said they may move to night time travel if necessary, but he doesn't expect any serious problems.

"The road's been holding up well and we don't anticipate any issues," he said. "Sometimes we have to go to nighttime travel, we figure even with the night travel there won't be any issues."

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