Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are for the Minister of Transportation on highways. I’ve noted that people driving to the Yellowknife Airport can now see the work on realignment of Highway No. 4 around the Giant Mine site is underway. I understand that the work will include not only the creation of a safer and better road that avoids the Giant Mine site, but some improvement to the highway onward to the Yellowknife River Bridge might be included.
On behalf of the public and my constituents, can the Minister provide us with some information on the extent and schedule for the work?
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. The honourable Minister of Transportation, Mr. David Ramsay.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, construction has started on the realignment of Highway No. 4 past Giant Mine. The work is being performed by Det’on Cho Corporation. They are in partnership with a number of local companies they have brought in to partner with them on the realignment project. Det’on Cho/Stantec, Det’on Cho/Nahanni Construction, Aboriginal Engineering, CJ Construction, Tli Cho Landtran, and also NWT Construction. They have a number of partners.
The project came within budget. The negotiations were concluded in early October. Construction is anticipated to carry on until close to Christmas time, at which time there will be a shutdown for a few months and then in the spring it will pick up again. We hope to have construction of the seven-kilometre stretch complete by November 2013.
The Minister anticipated my second question, which was about partnerships. Just on the extent of the project, I know that it will end up sort of close to the Bristol on the road to the airport, but where is it starting, and can the Minister tell us anything about the routing?
I’ll do my best. I have maps that I can provide to Members that better indicates the route. It will be down just from the current entrance to Fred Henne Park. That’s where the highway will start. It will bypass the Giant Mine site and the remediation work, both aboveground and underground, that is taking place there and come out close to the Yellowknife River. So it’s about seven kilometres. It’s going to be an important realignment for a number of reasons. I think it also opens up possibilities not only for the city of Yellowknife, but also with Det’on Cho and maybe some advancement on development.
Thanks again to the Minister. Perhaps that information is on some website that people could have a look at. There is also the question of financing this work. My understanding is that how this project is paid for is that redirection of the funds that GNWT has contributed to meet its obligations for remediation of the Giant Mine site. I wonder if the Minister could outline how those funds are being assigned. I know it’s a bit controversial. Some people think the money that we contributed to Giant Mine should go more directly into remediation, but I’d say at least a good portion of this project should be considered a legitimate response to the need to avoid the underground arsenic.
The money is coming from the GNWT Giant Mine Liability Fund, which was established in 2005. There was $17 million in that budget for the realignment and it’s expected that the project costs will come in under that figure.
Final, short supplementary, Mr. Bromley.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My last question, just moving a couple clicks down the road there, any update on the Detah road?
In response to the Member during the capital plan review, we haven’t abandoned the Detah road. We do need to identify more funding to complete the work that is required on the Detah road. We’re hopeful that, again, in 2014, that there’s a new infrastructure plan with the federal government that will enable us to conclude the work that’s required on the Detah road.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.
