Check against delivery

Mr. Speaker, the Northwest Territories transportation system is critical to connect residents and communities, to support the economy and to allow for the delivery of goods and services. 

Our government is committed to improving, maintaining and expanding our highway system to offer safe and reliable infrastructure that can adapt to the effects of time and climate change, while also creating training and employment opportunities for our residents.

Mr. Speaker, we had another busy highway construction season last year. In fact, this year alone we have spent more than $45 million dollars improving our highways, bridges and access roads.  

Some of the highlights of this work include more than 160 kilometres of chipseal overlay; 68 kilometres of roadway rehabilitation; 5 bridge rehabilitations; pre-engineering work for the rehabilitation and replacement of several structures; and, the completion of approximately 135 bridge and culvert inspections.

On Highway No. 1, chipseal overlay was made to 138 kilometers of road, including the Fort Simpson Access Road and the Fort Simpson Airport Access Road. Rehabilitation work including embankment widening and drainage improvement on a 12-kilometre section are in progress and will be completed this summer.

On Highway No. 3, we have had very positive discussions with Transport Canada on the replacement of the Frank Channel Bridge. Pending appropriate funding approvals, permit applications for this project will be submitted this year, with construction commencing once those authorizations are received.
We also completed surface repairs and rehabilitation on Highway No. 3 during the past year, including chipseal overlay of 23 kilometers of road.

Similar work was done on the Ingraham Trail, on a section that is a little over four kilometres long, and work on 14 kilometres of Highway No. 7 is in progress and will be completed this summer. Both projects include embankment widening and culvert replacement.

The Dempster Highway received embankment widening and rehabilitation on a 10-kilometre section and on the Marine By-pass.

On the Whatı̀ Access Road, the first phase of the rehabilitation work was completed last year, which included right of way clearing and material production for Phase 2 work. In Phase 2, the 12-kilometre access road that connects the community to the Tłı̨chǫ Highway will be improved, including road embankment re-construction, installation of drainage culverts, and replacement of culverts with a short span bridge. Work on this project is expected to begin later this year.

Mr. Speaker, this is just an overview of the hard work the Department of Infrastructure and its contractors are carrying out. More work will be completed this summer and fall, and new projects will be initiated, including rehabilitation on the Inuvik-Tuktoyaktuk Highway. We recently received federal funding for this project, which will include raising low-profile embankment areas, improving drainage, and installing guardrails as needed.

We continue to work closely with all of our public and private sector partners to build and maintain a transportation network that meets the current and future needs of the territory.

Quyananni, Mr. Speaker.