NWT roads get almost $100 million in new funding

The federal and territorial governments announced a combined $96 million in new infrastructure funding for the Northwest Territories on Thursday.

Almost all of the cash will go toward the upkeep of territorial highways, community access roads and winter roads.

Up to $72 million will come from the Government of Canada, with just under $24 million from the Government of the Northwest Territories and $354,700 from local community governments.

Included alongside road upgrades in the package are smaller, six-figure contributions toward a new youth centre in Colville Lake, a cold storage garage in Sambaa K’e, infrastructure work in Nahanni Butte, and a sewage vacuum truck for Wrigley.

In a statement, the territorial government said the investment would make freight transportation easier and improve road safety on Highways 1, 3, 4, 7 and 8. Federal funding comes from Infrastructure Canada’s $1 billion Small Communities Fund.