The Yellowknife to Dettah ice road officially opened for business on Saturday, January 2.
Following a mild winter, the ice road has taken longer than usual to enter operation. However, it opened two days earlier than the Department of Transportation’s most recent prediction of January 4.
Several vehicles were seen temporarily stranded within hours of the ice road opening, beached on the road’s snow-packed boundary having tried to carve their own off-ramps.
That follows reports earlier this week of several spectacular vehicle incidents on the NWT ice over the Christmas period.
The Dettah ice road is currently only open for vehicles weighing up to 4,000 kg, according to a Department of Transportation tweet on Saturday.
Last season, the ice road opened on December 19. Its 15-year average opening date is December 21, with an average closing date of April 21.
More information: GNWT Department of Transportation
