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Third season of ITH construction wraps up

May 20, 2016 – The governments of Canada and the Northwest Territories have announced the completion of a successful third construction season of the Inuvik Tuktoyaktuk Highway.

This season saw the historic joining of the two construction spreads on April 7, linking the north and the south sections after years of hard work. Work will resume in the fall of 2016, with this northern-most section of the envisioned Mackenzie Valley Highway scheduled to open in the fall of 2017.

Employing 400 individuals at the peak of construction season, the project has delivered numerous socio-economic and training opportunities in the region. It continues to be an opportunity for growth as the Government of the Northwest Territories works hand in hand with EGT-Northwind to connect Canada coast to coast to coast.

“I am very pleased with the successful completion of the third season of construction,” says Wally Schumann, minister of transportation for the Government of the Northwest Territories. “This season saw several milestones completed, with highway infrastructure now connecting to the Arctic Ocean for the first time. I am happy to say that we remain on schedule and on budget and look forward to continuing work in the fall.”

Construction continues to be carried out according to best practices and the leading-edge of innovative and resilient highway engineering design. On April 19-21, scientists and experts from Canada and the United States gathered in Inuvik for an International Symposium of Permafrost Scientists. The Government of Northwest Territories’ Department of Transportation (DOT) assumed a leading role in the discussion of new construction techniques and monitoring techniques for civil engineering projects in a permafrost condition. The DOT also recently hosted two Erosion and Sediment Control certification courses to gain up-to-date knowledge on this important topic.

The Inuvik Tuktoyaktuk Highway is a collaborative project of the Government of Canada, the Government of the Northwest Territories, the Hamlet of Tuktoyaktuk, and the Town of Inuvik.

The total estimated cost of the project is $299 million.