The Challenge
The Department of Transportation (DoT) is responsible for the design, building, construction, reconstruction, and maintenance of a transportation system that consists of over 3,600 kilometers of all-weather highway and winter roads. The system has five ferry and ice crossings, over 300 bridges and major structures, and 27 community airports. It is a combination of old and new, with future development and growth just ahead.
OLDER STRUCTURES AND ROADS
Many of the roads, major structures, and bridges of the Northwest Territories are decades old, requiring rehabilitation and in some instances replacement. Monitoring of this infrastructure is essential to ensure the safety of the travelling public and the continued efficiency of the highway system. Planning for rehabilitation and replacement requires consultation with nearby communities and other stakeholder, and the eventual plan must take into account a variety of concerns while remaining cost-effective and efficient.
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The Kakisa River Bridge was built in the late 1950s as part of the extension of the highway to Yellowknife. The bridge was a narrow one, designed for commercial vehicles that were lighter and narrower than the current standard. Years of heavy commercial traffic had taken their toll and rehabilitation of the existing bridge was not an option. A replacement bridge opened in the fall of 2009.
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REHABILITATION OF HIGHWAYS
There are numerous challenges faced by engineers who are designing a roadway in the Northwest Territories. Some parts of a highway may be on semi-permafrost, while other parts of the same road could be built on Canadian Shield rock. Road materials in a particular area such as gravel may not be suitable for that area's conditions, adding greatly to the cost of construction and rehabilitation. Often, the only solution is to design for what is known, and adapt to what is learned during construction and maintenance.
The Liard Trail (NWT Highway 7) was built in an area that experiences occasional years of very heavy rainfall, using locally sourced materials that were not ideal for road use. In 2008, a combination of heavy spring runoff and heavy rains closed the Liard Trail for a number of weeks. DoT engineering staff worked overtime with regional highway crews and contractors to restore the highway to effective use.
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FUTURE CHALLENGES
For more than 50 years, the dream of extending the national highway system to reach the Arctic Coast has been the subject of consultation, planning, and preparation. DoT is taking the lead role in preparing for an extension of the all-weather highway from Wrigley to the Dempster Highway, and to the Sahtu communities that would link to this road. In addition, DoT is preparing for the extension of the Dempster Highway (Highway 8) from Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk. Both of these new highways would build on the winter road network that has been maintained by DoT for decades. To extend the winter road season, and to prepare for the eventual all-weather highway, DoT is developing plans for the construction of a number of bridges that can be used for the winter road, and eventually for the all-weather highway. Highways Division engineering staff are working together with planners from the Planning, Policy, and Environmental Division and with local communities and industry to prepare for the eventual construction of the Mackenzie Valley Highway and the extension of the Dempster Highway.
Highways Division engineering staff are also working with North Slave regional staff and the Tlicho government and communities to plan for a realignment of the Tlicho winter road system which will extend the winter road season.
These efforts will increase economic opportunities in these regions, assist in the development of regional resources, and significantly lower the cost of living for communities and residents. The Department of Transportation's Engineer Recruitment campaign is intended to ensure the planning, development, and construction of an effective transportation infrastructure system for the residents of the Northwest Territories, Canada's fastest growing economic region.
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The Blackwater River Bridge project is one of numerous bridge projects that are underway or being planned as part of DoT's plan to extend the Mackenzie Winter Road season and to prepare for the eventual construction of the Mackenzie Valley Highway. Construction has begun on the Blackwater project. Other bridges are still in the design and planning stage. |
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