Despite warmer weather Liard River Ice Crossing opens on-time

The Liard Ice Road Crossing. (Photo courtesy of Owen Rowe)

Motorists in the Dehcho region are happy, as the Liard River ice crossing opened to light traffic at noon today. Vehicles weighing less than 5000 kilograms can drive across the seasonal ice road. The Department of Infrastructure says the last 25 year average opening date is November 29th.

Until today, Fort Simpson residents had to pay 365.00 dollars to hitch a lift across the river by helicopter, as they waited for the river to freeze.

A spokesperson from the GNWT says there is no available update on the Ndulee crossing which connects Wrigley to Fort Simpson and the Sahtu region through the Mackenzie Valley Winter Road system.

There was some chatter on social media pages in anticipation of the Liard Ice Crossing opening today.

A post on Fort Simpson’s Facebook Community Bulletin page.

 

Further North in the Mackenzie Delta region folks can now drive south from Inuvik to the Dempster Highway as both the Mackenzie River and Peel River ice crossings opened to light traffic on Wednesday.

For current road conditions, and Ice crossing information please visit the GNWT’s website or call 1-800-661-0750.

Workers crossing in a snow-cat ahead of today’s opening of the Liard Winter Road. (Photo courtesy of Owen Rowe)

About the Author

Josh Campbell
Start your morning with the Splash on Denendeh Sunrise from 7:30-8:30am. Campbell was trained and mentored by longtime CKLB host and Gwich'in entertainer William Greenland. Prior to hosting the morning show and filling in on the Saturday Request Show, he had stints in the Yukon on CKRW the Rush, CBC North in Yellowknife, and began his broadcasting career at CJCD Mix 100. Before moving North he was born and raised on the banks of the Tobique River, the traditional territory of the Wolastoqiyik, Tobique Maliseet First Nation.