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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Two separate water and sewer line breaks are being blamed for the closure of Franklin Avenue last week as city work crews raced to repair them so vehicle and pedestrian traffic could resume before the weekend.

Franklin Avenue was closed Thursday morning between 44 Street and 46 Street due to a sewer line breakage. The road was re-opened to traffic Friday evening. - Laura Busch/NNSL photo

A sewer line break underneath Franklin in front of the Lahm Ridge Tower, which led to the road being closed by 8 a.m. Thursday.

There is no estimated cost for the repair, which involves fixing two separate pieces of the sewer main, said Mayor Gord Van Tighem. He did say that most of the cost of repair would go toward labour, as the city already had the materials needed to fix the break.

The mayor didn't know how old the sewer main was but he did say its age was a contributing factor. He said there is always a concern that other ageing pipes around the city will start to break. Many of these pipes are more than 30 years old.

"That's why we keep talking about infrastructure deficits and going to the federal government for more financial support," said Van Tighem.

The city is working on an asset management plan, in partnership with the Yellowknife Chamber of Commerce, major businesses in the city, and the NWT Construction Association. This plan will be released publicly soon, according to the mayor. The city identified an infrastructure gap last fall in the neighbourhood of $74 million.

"We're working on a longer-term plan to catch up because our (city) is small enough that we can catch up," said Van Tighem. "In places like Montreal, they're losing bridges. So, we're in good shape in terms of that and we're looking at all kinds of stuff."

Separate water line break on Franklin

The connection between two water lines further down the hill on Franklin Avenue toward Old Town also broke Feb. 15. Traffic was not diverted but pedestrians had to detour around the water spill. This connection is between a publicly-owned line and a private water line, so while the city can fix its side, its hands are tied as far as what to do about the private infrastructure, said Van Tighem.

This connection tends to break about once a year, said Van Tighem. The perennial breakage is caused by permafrost melt.

"It's called the climate change impact and infrastructure deficit," said Van Tighem. "It's one of the great joys of living in Canada's North."

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