Yukon gov’t working to improve some sections of the Dempster Highway
‘We want everybody to come home at the end of the day,’ says territory’s acting director of transportation
The Yukon’s Dempster Highway is rough, rugged, and ever-changing.
Depending on the weather, the 740 kilometre stretch of road can either be a the drive of a lifetime, or a nightmare.
Recently, some people who’ve made the trip have said the section between the North Klondike Highway cutoff near Dawson City, and the Yukon/NWT border needs some serious maintenance.
Chris Dunbar, the territory’s acting director of transportation, said the highway’s condition isn’t much different than previous years, but offered a reason for its current state.
“There’s been a little bit more concern this year on our end at least with trying to deal with the repercussions of the washouts that we had last year,” he said. “The environmental impact could have impacted us more than usual and so … we’re working more diligently to try and improve certain parts of that.”
Dunbar said crews working along the Dempster Highway are out daily to improve, and maintain the road to a safe standard.
He said $7 million is spent annually to keep the road open.
Since June, there’s been at least three separate accidents involving motorbikes in the Yukon’s section.
In one accident, a man died.
“The accidents that are happening this year are very unfortunate,” Dunbar said. “We’re still waiting to find out some of the conditions of that accident and that fatality and then we can better address some of those issues that had affected it.”
Dunbar said for additional support, the Yukon is working with its partners in the N.W.T. to ensure travellers on both sides of the border stay safe while driving the road.
“We’re working with the Northwest Territories on sort of a memorandum of understanding to define what the goals are for maintaining that in a safe, and dependable and efficient route.”
Dunbar said at the end of the day, it all comes down to people using their own personal judgment when choosing to drive a road like the Dempster Highway.
“It’s a fairly rugged terrain that’s up there and the road isn’t much of an exception,” he said.
“It’s really unfortunate that that’s the reason for these stories but I think it’s an important conversation to have so that we can [bring] further awareness to the travelling public as well as governments to understand that this is a critical area that needs more attention.”
In a statement, the Yukon Party’s tourism and culture critic Geraldine Van Bibber urged the territorial government to address the state of the Dempster Highway.
“I am calling on the minister [of Highways and Public Works] to tell Yukoners and residents of the Mackenzie Delta how his Liberal government plans to make the highway safer to drive, and when the repairs will take place.”
“Many Northwest Territories residents drive the highway to pick up supplies regardless of he time of year, and the summer season sees tourists trying to navigate this unstable, narrow highway.”
Related stories from around the North:
Canada: ‘Totally unacceptable’: Tuktoyaktuk mayor, road contractors decry state of highway, CBC News
United States: U.S. gov’t paying to upgrade section of Alaska Highway in the Yukon, CBC News
