Construction recently resumed on the Tlicho All-Season Road, a 97-kilometre permanent roadway in Northwest Territories running from Highway 3 west of Yellowknife to the community of Whatì, previously a fly-in community in winter months.
The $411.8-million project was awarded to North Star Infrastructure (a collaboration of Kiewit Canada Development Corp., Hatch Corp. and Thurber Engineering Ltd.) in November 2018, and is being delivered as a public-private partnership. Construction commenced in September 2019.
The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) is working in partnership with the Tłı̨chǫ Government to advance the project, which is funded jointly by the Government of Canada (25 per cent) and the GNWT (75 per cent). The groundbreaking project has been decades in the making.
Replacing the southern section of the existing winter road will adapt to the impacts of climate change, provide uninterrupted access to Whatì and increase the winter road window-of-access to the communities of Gamètì and Wekweètì.
Road construction and maintenance will result in significant employment and training opportunities for Tłı̨chǫ residents that support the development of a strong northern workforce. Transportation efficiencies are also expected to reduce the cost of living for the region, attract further interest from industry in exploration and development of natural resources.
Construction is scheduled to be complete by fall 2021.
To view a video about the project, click here:
Featured image credit:
Government of Northwest Territories Infrastructure (August 24, 2019)
