The Prohibition Creek Access Road will create employment, training and business opportunities for Sahtu residents.
Quick Facts (Prohibition Creek Access Road)
- Two-lane, all-season gravel road
- 13 kilometres in length; divided into two construction phases:
- Phase 1 will include the first 6.7-kilometre section from Canyon Creek to Christina Creek;
- Phase 2 will include the remaining 6.3 kilometres from Christina Creek to Prohibition Creek.
- Construction of Phase 1 started in the fall of 2022 and is anticipated to take up to 12 months to complete.
Project Highlights
- The project will create employment, training and business opportunities for Sahtu residents.
- Once constructed, the road will provide access for recreational and traditional harvesting activities.
- The proposed road will be along the alignment of the existing Mackenzie Valley Winter Road.
Current Status
- March 2019: The Sahtu Secretariat Incorporated (SSI) passed a resolution in support of pursuing the Prohibition Creek Access Road.
- April 2019: SSI and the GNWT signed a Memorandum of Understanding that includes working together to support the advancement of local access road projects.
- June 2020: A total of $20 million was announced for the construction of the new all-season access road from Canyon Creek Bridge to Prohibition Creek Bridge. Of this amount, the federal government will provide $15 million under the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program. The GNWT will fund the remaining $5 million.
- September 2020: The GNWT filed the Project Description Report and regulatory applications for the Prohibition Creek Access Road.
- November 2020: The GNWT received the necessary Type “A” Land Use Permit and Type “B” Water Licence for the construction of the Prohibition Creek Access Road.
- September 2021: Project divided into two construction phases due to a design concern at Christina Creek.
- October 2021: PCAR Phase 1 procurement initiated through a public tendering process.
- December 2021: Public procurement process for PCAR Phase 1 cancelled as the lone bid received exceeded the project budget and was deemed unacceptable.
- October 2022: The GNWT secured $25.5 million in funding for PCAR Phase 1 under Infrastructure Canada's Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP). A separate budget of $2.5 million was also approved to cover the planning and design work completed to date, as well as the outstanding work required to make Phase 2 construction shovel ready.
- November 2022: Construction for Phase 1 starts
