On Wednesday, the Tibbitt-to-Contwoyto ice road (a.k.a. “The Winter Road”) which services Canada’s northern diamond mines (Northwest Territories and Nunavut) officially opened for business.
The Winter Road provides critical supplies to the mines as there is no direct all-weather road access to them year-round. During an approximate two-month window, thousands of loads (approximate 8,400 loads this season) are shipped along the 600-km road that traverses numerous lakes and portages.
The Winter Road is located in the sub-Arctic region of Canada. The proposed Bathurst Inlet Port and Road Project (see Polar Ventures section) would eventually link the Winter Road to an Arctic port and allow for transported goods and material through portions of the Northwest Passage.
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Map of Winter Road
Credit: Popular Mechanics
For further information, please visit the following links:
Extreme cold, high winds a mixed blessing in North – CBC News
http://jvtcwinterroad.ca/ – Official Winter Road site