Parks Canada once again reopens Fort Chip-Fort Smith winter road

The on-again off-again winter road between Fort Smith and Fort Chipewyan reopened again on Wednesday after an earlier, brief closure related to overflow.

The road now has a 10,000-kg weight limit and Parks Canada, which maintains it, says only people with 4×4 or all-wheel drive vehicles should attempt to cross it.

“Colder temperatures overnight helped the overflow issue at the Peace River crossing, and crews were able to flood/freeze the crossing again to make it passable,” Parks Canada stated.

“There is more than a metre of ice on the river, and crews will continue to monitor and repair crossings as needed.”

The road was closed “due to overflow on river crossings,” the federal agency stated in an earlier. It had been open for less than a week after a six-day closure in late January for repair work.

“Since early January, water levels have been steadily decreasing on the Peace, Rochers and Quatre Fourches rivers,” Parks Canada stated at the time.

“Overflow occurs when the ice drops down onto the water, causing water to seep to the surface of the ice.”