Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Just one sec here; my computer has been very finicky these days.
The Mackenzie River Valley Highway will provide an all-season connection between the small communities in the Northwest Territories Sahtu Region, from Tulita to Norman Wells. The highway is being advanced as a series of projects along the Mackenzie River Valley route, with one such project being the Great Bear River Bridge.
The proposed Great Bear River Bridge will be constructed adjacent to the hamlet of Tulita, replacing a section of the winter road that is currently constructed across the Mackenzie River around its confluence with the Great Bear River; a river that has historically proven problematic for ice road construction due to its high flow and configuration.
The bridge alone will be a huge boon to the smaller community, connecting Tulita to its only quarry or borrow source, which the community can currently only access during the winter road season. The two-lane bridge will span 460 meters in length and provide new social, recreational, and economic opportunities for the community. Eventually, this road will connect Tulita to Norman Wells' Road to Nowhere, a connection that will be a huge economic game changer for the people of the Sahtu.
For example, the resource industry has long supported the construction of the bridge and subsequent highway as better access for exploration will lead to greater economic opportunity for the communities along its route. But the benefits from the highway from this sector will not be realized for many years.
The people of Tulita should not have to wait until the full highway is complete to take part in the economic prosperity that it will bring. Rather, all efforts should be made to ensure that any contract being issued as part of the bridge's construction remains with businesses in the small community that will have the bridge in their backyard. These contracts must benefit the people that actually live in that community and not outsiders that make many false promises of trickle-down economies that never seem to materialize.
Regulatory permits and approvals are expected to be in place in the spring with construction slated to begin the following winter. It is expected that the bridge and its approaches will take about three years to complete. This substantial amount of money must remain in the small community that supports the bridge and its work going forward. I will have questions for the Minister of Infrastructure at the appropriate time. Thank you.
Thank you, Member for Great Slave. Members' statements. Member for Nahendeh.
