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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
This may be the last year Yellowknife merchants will need to prepare for spring breakup of the Mackenzie River, providing the Deh Cho Bridge finishes on schedule this fall.

Aliona Lungu, assistant manager of Luluz Market in Centre Ice Plaza, stands next to a large order brought in to prepare for possible spring break-up delays. - Lyndsay Herman/NNSL photo

The hope is the bridge will be completed early enough to replace the need for an ice crossing and shipments can switch seamlessly from ferry service to bridge traffic.

"It's not guaranteed that this will be the last year of the ice crossing," said Earl Blacklock, communications manager for the Department of Transportation. "But we are hopeful."

Blacklock said further delays in bridge construction are not expected but that can always be a possibility and the department will be ready to construct the Mackenzie River ice crossing if necessary.

"It's relatively simple to put in an ice crossing." said Blacklock. "If it's looking like we're faced with the choice of either rushing the completion of the bridge or setting up an ice crossing, we will set up the ice crossing."

The bridge, when first announced in 2007, was supposed to have a completion date by 2010. The capital cost of its construction has also risen to $192 million from its original budget of $165 million.

Blacklock said the transition from ice crossing to ferry service during breakup usually lasts about four weeks but that time frame varies year to year. Last year, it was only two weeks. This year's warm winter caused the department to consider closing the ice crossing as early as Easter long weekend, said Blacklock, but cold weather at the end of March and beginning of April has kept it open a few weeks longer.

Yellowknife merchants say the secret to a smooth spring season is planning ahead for the breakup and stocking up heavily - for even longer than they expect to be waiting for the Merv Hardie ferry service to resume.

Gastown, located on Old Airport Road, has brought five weeks work of fuel to the Yellowknife side of the river in preparation.

"The breakup normally lasts about four weeks and we usually put an extra week on that," said Gastown owner Roy Ferrier.

"In the past it's always enabled us to provide fuel without being affected."

Ferrier said the real focus of spring break-up season at Gastown is cleaning and building maintenance.

"We usually take this time to do some cleanup and painting, make preparations for summer." he said, "

It's warmer so that allows us to paint outdoors."

Barry Bessette, owner of Yellowknife's M&M Meats, is also confident that his pre-planning means the potential four-week delay will not be any problem.

"I've ordered extra products based on previous years and upcoming specials," he said. "It's pretty basic. It'll be business as usual."

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