The Yellowknife-Dettah ice road is now open for the winter 2022-23 season, coming in ahead of the apparent record for latest opening date by one day.
Territorial records posted online, which only go back as far as 1993, show January 11 as the latest date on which the winter road has opened. This year’s announcement came on January 10.
In a tweet just after 3pm on Tuesday, the NWT’s Department of Infrastructure said the road was open to light traffic. Drivers were advised to “watch for rough sections.”
Construction of the road began on Friday last week. No work took place over the holiday period as there was too much overflow and the insulating effect of heavy snow had left the ice too thin in some areas.
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A truck working on the ice road caught fire on Friday, but no vehicle went through the ice as some residents had speculated online.
