Busy year expected as Tibbitt to Contwoyto winter road opens

The Tibbit to Contwoyto winter road — the road to the N.W.T.'s diamond mines — opened Thursday morning, and officials say they're expecting a busy trucking season.

Ron Near, the director of winter road operations for the joint venture that operates the road, said that he's expecting it to be the second busiest season on record. He estimates more than 10,000 truckloads of freight being hauled to the mines this year.

Near also said that residents along the Ingraham Trail can expect more traffic, as four trucks are dispatched every 20 minutes during the season.

"They [residents] should be aware and just be cautious that there is going to be a lot more heavy haul traffic for the next two-month period," he said. 

Near said that trucks won't be sent up the trail during peak commuting times: from 7 to 8 a.m., and 5 to 6 p.m., in order to make the commute easier for people living in the area.

The winter road typically closes around the end of March.