“The typical [repair] cycle if you’re in an ice-rich environment is typically about three to four years, while if you’re in other areas where there’s no sensitive soil, no ice-rich permafrost, it’s more like 12 to 15 years,” Doré said.
The federal government has signaled the proposed Arctic economic and security corridor could be recommended for fast-tracking in the future. The 900-kilometre all-season utility corridor would stretch from Yellowknife to Grays Bay, Nunavut, pictured here, the site of a proposed deep-water port. (Submitted by West Kitikmeot Resources Corp.)
Newmark says the Inuvik-Tuktoyaktuk Highway had suffered from a lack of maintenance for a number of years, and much of the money spent was mostly for clearing snow off the road.
In written responses to CBC News, the N.W.T. Infrastructure department says it allocated $2.2 million each year for maintenance on that highway between 2019 and 2024, and that figure was bumped up to $2.5 million until 2027.
The department says that does include funding for maintenance like gravel surfacing and embankment slope repair.
In 2023, the federal and territorial governments also pledged $14m for the rehabilitation of the highway.
Thumbnail courtesy of West Kitikmeot Resources Corp. via CBC.
The story was originally written by Samuel Wat and published for CBC News.