Last year’s winter road blues are in the past and important lessons have been learned. By mid-February, the Joint Venture Management Committee (JVMC) of the Tibbitt to Contwoyto Winter Road Joint Venture reported that 3,000 truckloads of fuel and general freight had trundled their way northward to the NWT diamond mines and projects – tripling last year’s loads for the same period.
With 75 to 85% built over water, the 568 kilometre winter road winds over a series of lakes interconnected by 64 portages. It is the main supply road for the EKATI, Diavik and Jericho diamond mines, the Lupin gold mine (currently inactive), the Snap Lake mine development and several other mineral exploration projects. The companies typically ship a full year’s supplies over the winter road.
Last year’s record warm winter caused a myriad of problems, with truckers enduring long layovers in Yellowknife and ultimately necessitating the hiring of a Hercules aircraft to bring in the most critical supplies. This year, Mother Nature has been more helpful.
“Temperatures so far this winter have been much more cooperative than those experienced last year,” said Tom Hoefer, Spokesperson for the Winter Road and Manager of External & Internal Affairs at Diavik Diamond Mines Inc. “Keep in mind, last winter was the warmest here in 60 years.”
“We certainly learned from last year's experience and have taken additional steps to help create a successful road season this year,” said Hoefer.
“From last year, we learned to avoid building ice road over ‘shoals’ or areas in the lakes where the water is shallower,” he said. “This year, we used helicopters in summer, and ground penetrating radar in winter to identify such shallow waters within lakes. The radar can ‘see’ through the ice and water to the lake bottom below and reveal shallows.”
“In addition, we have hired additional flooding crews to help us enhance the ice thickness. We simply drill holes in the lakes and pump water onto the ice to build it up quicker,” he added.
Most problems occur in the southern 100 kilometres of road, where the temperatures are typically warmer. The cooler winter enabled Nuna Logistics Ltd. – the Inuit company that builds and operates the road on behalf of the JVMC – to clear snow earlier, using lighter tracked vehicles to plough snow off the ice route or simply to pack it down.
“Both methods help remove the insulating snow blanket, and allow the winter cold to build thicker ice along the winter road route,” said Hoefer. “As a result of going in early, the ice thickened sufficiently to allow us to put our usual snowploughs on the ice after Christmas. This allowed us to maintain a similar construction schedule as in normal years.”
As well, EBA Engineering provided quality assurance on ice construction, using such technology as ground penetrating radar. By mid-February, EBA confirmed that minimum ice thicknesses had passed 36 inches (90 cm). SecureCheck crews then monitored traffic to ensure the ice was protected through strict observance of speed limits and other rules of the road.
New pathways are also ensuring smoother passage. “We are twinning the road on several lakes, in order to make sure we don't have bottlenecks if the road weakens,” added Hoefer. “Finally, we have also identified an additional ‘insurance route’ at the southern end to share trucking loads.”
This secondary route to Gordon Lake is constructed and managed to the same standards as the main route. It will merge with the main route approximately 70 kilometres up the regular ice road.
This year, the JVMC estimated that 10,000 truckloads of fuel, explosives, equipment, and assorted freight would be transported over the road.
JVMC is managed by a Joint Venture Management Committee comprised of Diavik Diamond Mines Inc. and BHP Billiton Diamonds Inc. The JVMC is committed to constructing, operating and maintaining the winter road in a safe and environmentally responsible manner.
“With the weather on our side, and with the additional steps we are taking,” he said, “it is our hope that we will have a successful winter road and will not require flying as per last year. That being said, if the weather is not on our side and we need to fly, there are aircraft like the Hercules available that can fly supplies and fuel.”
In February, a strike by CN Rail workers promised to stir up new troubles for northern minesites. The Mining Association of Canada (MAC) suggested the strike would strongly impact those mining companies dependent on rail to transport fuel in or to transport products and by-products from operations.
The Association called the situation in Canada's north “very serious,” indicating the strike is already causing a shortfall of essential fuel shipments to the diamond mines in Northern Canada. The Mackenzie Northern Railway connects the Northwest Territories to Alberta. Its workers were not part of the strike, but CN Rail has been unable to provide enough tank cars to Edmonton refineries to meet the annual fuel re-supply commitments.
At press time, CN and the United Transportation Union had reached a tentative deal to end the strike by 2,800 railway conductors and yard-service workers.