Work Gets Underway on Canada’s Winter Road

The winter road – it’s the lifeline for diamond mines in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut in Canada. According to CBC News, work on the 570 kilometer road has started despite unseasonably warm temperatures.

The work is even ahead of schedule, said Tom Hoefer, a spokesman for the Diavik Diamond Mine (DDMI). Hoefer told CBC News that cold weather in November produced a good ice base and now crews are using amphibious vehicles to remove snow from the ice to allow it to thicken. About 87 percent of the road, which runs north from Yellowknife, is built on frozen lakes and streams.

DDMI is one of several mining companies that manage the winter road. If the weather co-operates, Hoefer said, the road should be in operation by February as usual.

Last year, the winter road closed early due to warm weather. As a result, many of the mines did not get all of their supplies and equipment across in time which forced them to fly in fuel and parts at a considerably higher cost.