The federal government says it is investing $67 million in upgrades to highways across the Northwest Territories.
Ottawa said “sections” of Highway 7, which runs from Highway 1 outside Fort Simpson south to BC, will be chipsealed alongside other work at a cost of $12 million.
Highway rehabilitation work will take place on Highway 1 about 50 km west of the Highway 3 intersection that heads north to Fort Providence. That work will cost $14 million.
The work on highways 1 and 7 “will give the communities of Fort Liard, Nahanni Butte, Jean Marie River, and Fort Simpson safer and more efficient driving conditions,” the federal government asserted.
The Dempster Highway near Inuvik and Ingraham Trail north of Yellowknife will each receive work costing $18 million and $8 million respectively, according to a federal document outlining the basics of the work planned for each road.
The access road from Whatì to the community’s new all-season highway, which is about 12 km long, will be redesigned and improved, Ottawa said, at a cost of $15 million.
Monday’s announcement did not contain any commitments to new roads such as the Mackenzie Valley Highway and Slave Geological Province road, which are NWT government priorities.
Last week, Premier RJ Simpson characterized them as Arctic security projects as he suggested federal funding could help Canada meet its Nato spending targets.