INUVIK
After a difficult start to the second season of construction, the new $299-million permanent highway to Tuktoyaktuk from Inuvik has largely closed the gap between reality and production estimates.

Lands Minister Robert C. McLeod takes a tour of the Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk highway March 17. The $299-million project is progressing well with about 65 km of the 120-km road completed.

Approximately 65 kilometres of the 120-kilometre road have now been largely completed, according to the latest update provided at a news conference on June 1. Original estimates had called for 72 kilometres of road to be completed by this point.

That's a huge jump in the distance covered, particularly since progress was painfully slow during most of the season at the south end of the highway near Inuvik.

In this region, challenging, hilly and undulating terrain had kept progress, as measured by distance, to about 14 kilometres earlier this year during a tour for GNWT representatives in mid March.

At the same time, the north end of the project near Tuktoyaktuk was covering far more distance in the flatter terrain that required far fewer loads of material.

Initial projections for the highway predicted 20 kilometres or more of road could be built from each end of the project per year. Those projections have yet to be achieved.

Along with the terrain at the south end, warmer-than-normal temperatures in February also hampered the construction of ice roads leading to gravel quarries most of the month, according to a report.

Kevin McLeod, the project director for the highway, said in a telephone interview June 3 that he's quite satisfied with the way the season ended.

"We are pleased with the progress the contractor has made," he said. "Particularly with the training and employing of local folks and opportunities they have provided, and on the project itself."

Approximately 600 people have been hired for a variety of positions, and nearly 80 per cent of them are from the delta region, McLeod said.

"The big difference (in the distance covered) has been fewer loads per kilometre," he explained. "They were making faster progress on the ground as opposed to the undulating conditions, so they were making a little bit more progress."

"The weather was cooperating as well, with temperatures nice and cool and (more) light as well and people could move around more safely."

Current estimates call for approximately two million cubed metres to be spread on the roadway this coming winter, which is comparable to the amount moved this past winter, McLeod said.

"So it's all doable as far as the mathematics goes," he said. "But in the end, things like Mother Nature and the weather are things you can prepare for, but they can still be controlling factors, and there's not much you can do about that."

The seven kilometres that have yet to be complete represent about four weeks of work, McLeod said, and he's said he's confident the contractor can handily make up that difference in the next construction season, which is predicted to be about 139 days in length.

"It's all very doable in the various permutations and calculations we're doing," he said.

"We are very pleased with the contractor's progress and achievements with local employment, training, safety, and quality under difficult conditions. The project is proceeding as planned and we are looking forward to the highway's opening, said Transportation Minister Tom Beaulieu in a news release.

The GNWT is contributing $99 million towards the project, with the federal government chipping in $200 million.

The highway will be the first permanent road in Canada running to the Arctic coast.

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