Dettah ice road slightly behind schedule
Transportation department hopes Yellowknife Bay access route open before Christmas
Simon Whitehouse
Northern News Services
Friday, December 11, 2015
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Warm weather has put the Dettah ice road slightly behind schedule but transportation officials are still aiming to open the route before Christmas.
Del Miller, regional manager of highway operations for the Department of Transportation, said he is planning on having work crew out on the Yellowknife Bay ice on Monday to clear areas closest to Dettah and Yellowknife. He predicts the ice road off School Draw Avenue will open a little later than usual.
"The 15-year average is Dec. 21 as an opening and April 21 as a closing," he said. "Last year, we opened at Dec. 19 but I don't think we will get to that this year just because we are not sure how thick that ice is out there."
The last time ice measurements were taken by the City of Yellowknife showed little more than six inches of ice on Yellowknife Bay but that was more than three weeks ago. A pickup truck parked near Jolliffe Island fell through the ice Monday.
Winter so far has been warmer than normal with lots of snow, which is not good for ice thickness buildup, said Miller.
Nonetheless, he said he believes the ice will be thick enough for four employees to head out on to the bay with an amphibious ATV unit and three F-350 pick-up trucks with front-mounted snow plows next week.
The department also ensures there is a pick-up truck waiting on the shore for safety purposes while workers are out on the ice.
Once the road opens, Miller said the weight limits increase as the ice thickens.
"If we can get on there with 37 centimetres (about 14 inches) we will then open it up to 5,000 kilograms and that is normally what we do at the beginning of the year," he said, adding some years has seen an allowance of up to 30,000 kilograms.
Without the go-ahead from the GNWT, people are driving on the ice entirely at their own risk because ice thickness is not officially sanctioned by the proper authorities, he said.
As is usual throughout the season, Miller said a sign will be erected at either point of the ice road marking the maximum car and truck weights that are permissible on the road. He added that this will be reviewed and updated weekly.
Miller called the ice road a lifeline for Yellowknifers and Dettah residents because it cuts the distance between the two points down to six kilometres from about 20 km during the summer when Dettah is only accessible via Highway 4. The ice means a faster response in Dettah from emergency services and makes it easier for residents to go home for lunch.
RCMP will expand its enforcement as soon as the ice road opens, said Const. Elenore Sturko, adding the biggest concern police have with the ice road is that the area tends to be a multi-use area for snowmobilers, kite surfers and pedestrians.
"The Yellowknife RCMP, in anticipation of opening, ask people to be mindful of traffic safety and pedestrian safety in and around the ice road," she said.
As a result, police will be monitoring speed limits for cars, trucks and snowmobilers as soon as the road opens.
