The federal government will contribute $3 million to the cost of building an all-weather bridge across the Mackenzie River at Fort Providence, N.W.T. Upon completion, in 2006, vehicles serving mines in the area will have to pay tolls.
The Deh Cho Bridge Corp. will begin building the $57.1-million bridge later this year. Deh Cho will own the bridge for 35 years and administer profits derived from tolls, as well as at least $1.5 million annually from the territorial government. The money will be used to fund employment and business initiatives.
Most of the bridge-building contracts will go to businesses in the Northwest Territories. The Deh Cho Bridge Corp. is owned and operated by the Deh Gah Got’ie Dene First Nation and the Fort Providence Metis Council, Local No. 57.
The bridge will reduce travel time, ensure year-round access, and generate revenue for local communities, says Andrew Mitchell, minister of Indian affairs and northern development:
A ferry is currently used to transport people and supplies across the river during roughly 10 months when the ice is not frozen, and flights are the only way of getting in and out during eight weeks when ice flows render ferry crossings too dangerous.
The Deh Cho Bridge will have two lanes and measure 1,045 metres. It is part of an all-weather road, extending 530 km north from the Alberta border to Yellowknife, with connections to winter roads that service gold and diamond mines. So far, 460 km of the road have been completed to meet modern standards.
Also, Highway 3, a 70-km stretch between Rae and Yellowknife, is scheduled for reconstruction over the next three years.
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