Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of Infrastructure. Can the Minister describe the status of the relationship with all Indigenous governments situated along the proposed Mackenzie Valley Highway route on this project? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes. Minister responsible for Infrastructure.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the work we're currently focusing on, which is the 321kilometre alignment to Wrigley to Norman Wells, have established an MOU for a collaboration on the projects with Sahtu Secretariat Incorporated. We also have a contribution agreement with SSI and the PKFN for work under this project. We also have a memorandum of understanding with the PKFN for their consideration on the project collaboration. We also have provided contribution funding to Norman Wells and Tulita Renewable Resource Councils for some traditional work. So, Mr. Speaker, we are working with the Indigenous groups. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So nothing north of Norman Wells? Okay. Is the work to advance the road connecting Norman Wells and Wrigley on budget and on track? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Member for her question, because I think that's really important to get this out there. So in 2018, the Department of Infrastructure obtained $140 million in federal support, under the National Trade Corridor Fund, to be able to support things like the environmental assessment, some of the planning studies for the portion of the Mackenzie Valley Highway from the communities of Wrigley to the Wells, which, again, is a distance of 321 kilometres, as well as the construction of the Great Bear River Bridge and the Mount Gadet Access Road.
We also have successfully obtained funds to be able to construct phase 1 of the Prohibition Creek Access Road, which is about $25.5 million for construction of that phase.
The next critical milestone, Mr. Speaker, in the process of submitting for our developers assessment report, which we anticipate to be submitting to the Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board early 2023. So following the completion of this critical community engagement and Indigenous traditional knowledge work that is currently underway, we anticipate the EA to take approximately two years, followed by approximately one to one and a half years to obtain all of the regulatory permits for construction. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, residents and business in the Beaufort Delta are ready and willing to build a road south and undertake the work required to develop community plans to get communities ready in the Beaufort Delta. That's what they do; they build roads. So can the Minister identify the length of the road and the budget, even if it's a past budget that might have been an estimate budget, required to connect Inuvik to Fort Good Hope? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And Mr. Speaker, I respect that the Member was able to give me a head's up; however, that head's up was just not enough time to be able to go back and get a figure from the department. So I'd like to get back to the Member for this one because this is something of interest to me and perhaps you too, Mr. Speaker. I mean, we've talked about this in the past. So I think, you know, we can get back to the Member. Yes, I'm just not ready to ballpark a figure like this given some of the costs escalations in all our other projects. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary, Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I don't think it's just for us. I think it's for the whole of Northwest Territories. I think it's going to be a great thing if this happens, if this comes to life in my lifetime, because it's been since 1960 that it was first talked about, like I said.
Mr. Speaker, can the Minister commit to investigate the feasibility of building the Mackenzie Valley Highway from the Inuvik south to connect to Fort Good Hope and get that work started, as well while they're working on it, let's get some money rolling in, let's get this part of the highway done. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, and I think the Member's going to happy with my commitment on this, to be able to look at investing in the feasibility study. The longterm vision for Mackenzie Valley Highway has always been to connect communities from all the way up the valley, up from Wrigley all the way to Tuktoyaktuk, with the allseason road. You know, reducing our reliance on some of our existing network of winter roads, which are increasingly at risk to some negative impacts of climate change. So, Mr. Speaker, I see the Member's quite happy right now. So if she's happy, I'm happy. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Monfwi.
