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Highway to Dehcho communities reopens, but conditions could 'evolve fairly quickly'

A map of road conditions in the N.W.T. as of May 19. (GNWT - image credit)
A map of road conditions in the N.W.T. as of May 19. (GNWT - image credit)

The N.W.T.'s infrastructure department says weekend travelers should watch road conditions closely now that the highway connecting Jean Marie River, Fort Simpson, Sambaa K'e and Fort Liard to the rest of the territory has reopened to one-lane travel.

The highway cut off Dehcho communities this past week, with high water blocking Highway 1 for four days at kilometre 236, said Steve Loutitt, deputy minister for the infrastructure department.

"Some of the situations on the roads … evolve fairly quickly."

He said anyone traveling N.W.T. highways should look at the department's online map and Twitter feeds.

All roads and highways are currently open but there are three areas open to one-lane traffic only, which will be similar to conditions during highway construction.

Loutitt said the roads are impacted at the road bed.

An area of the highway towards Fort Simpson at kilometres 236 to 238 had a "fair bit of erosion."

"We get that on the sides of the roads as well when we're even on a paved road."

'Significant and unprecedented' water

Loutitt said those sites would be repaired, and that this year's flooding situation has seen "significant and unprecedented" water levels on highways 1, 2, 3 and 5.

Loutitt looks to the spring melt, heavy precipitation and to climate change as possible explanations for his year's flooding.

The government is looking into water flows, where the water is coming from and how to prevent such severe flooding in the future, he said.

The government is unsure of when the water will subside enough so that it is safe to reopen the highway to two lanes.