Statement from Minister Clarke on updates to the North Klondike Highway

Minister Nils Clarke has issued the following statement:

 

“The North Klondike Highway is an integral link between our communities and the traditional territories of the Yukon. This route serves the Yukon’s industry, small businesses, Yukoners and tourists from across the globe.

“The Department of Highways and Public Works is upgrading critical sections of the highway over a 10-year period.  Through the federal government’s National Trade Corridors Fund and our government’s $66.9 million investment, we are investing a total of $267.6 million towards this project.

“This critical investment will help increase safety, improve driving conditions, address the impacts of climate change and better connect the Yukon’s resources to markets.

“The work began in 2020 and we will continue to complete the project over the next six years. In 2023, we completed the Crooked Creek Bridge replacement, installed slope-monitoring equipment near Rock Creek and Flat Creek and reconstructed a 10-kilometre section of highway south of the Dempster Highway.

“Our crews also worked to complete 23 kilometres of Bituminous Surface Treatment, 18 kilometres of revegetation between Stewart Crossing and Dawson City and the Moose Creek Bridge rehabilitation.

“That is an impressive amount of work for one summer, but the work doesn’t stop there. A two-year $29 million construction contract has been awarded to Cobalt Construction Inc. This work will provide key reconstruction to 16.3 kilometers between kilometre 542.3 and 558.6.

“We have also invested $1.5 million to complete the rehabilitation of the McCabe Creek Bridge this summer.

“I want to delve deeper into some of the work we have already completed, and the benefits Yukoners are seeing and will continue to see once the project is complete. We are building a better and more durable road surface. Drivers will have better sightlines, giving them more time to avoid a collision. There will be better drainage – very helpful during spring melts and heavy rains – and fewer potholes. The project is also helping to reduce emissions and increase service levels by removing seasonal weight restrictions for heavy trucks. It’s a simple fact that if you can carry more per trip, you need less travel and less fuel.

“We are also addressing the effects of climate change and using technology to mitigate our impact on the environment. We are installing electric vehicle chargers along the North Klondike to ensure that EVs can safely travel along the highway. We are expanding the use of technology that collects data on traffic, road conditions, and weather – all of which helps to improve the safety of road users. This includes equipment for the slope-monitoring project installed by the Yukon Geological Survey in 2023 near Rock Creek and Flat Creek. This equipment includes roadside cameras to remotely monitor the slide along the highway. As well as thermistors and tiltmeters on the slope to measure ground temperatures and detect movements.

‘The new bridge at Crooked Creek is built higher than the previous bridge which will protect against flooding and changing weather. We are doing similar work with culverts, by making them larger. These techniques will create a more resilient North Klondike Highway that can withstand increasing precipitation and be more resistant to flooding and washouts. This project has significant economic benefits for the territory. We are employing Yukoners and making use of the Yukon First Nations Procurement Policy. Using this policy, we can help ensure that more of the work and benefits created from this project will flow to Yukon First Nations Citizens and businesses.

“I am immensely proud of our government’s investment and commitment to building up our infrastructure. Pending legislative approval, we will be investing $17 million in additional funding for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of parts of the North Klondike Highway.

“We have made significant progress so far and I will continue to share updates as the work progresses. 

“Together we are making the North Klondike Highway a safer and more resilient highway that will continue to serve the Yukon for generations to come."