After two years of construction, the Tłı̨chǫ Highway is set to open to the public at the end of the month. The highway, also known as Highway 9, is a 97-kilometre two-lane gravel highway that connects the community of Whatì access road to Highway 3 and the national highway system year-round.
Tłı̨chǫ Acting Grand Chief Sonny Zoe says the Tłı̨chǫ Highway is an excellent example of governments working together with industry to provide vital infrastructure for the community.
The Tłı̨chǫ Highway will continue to provide long term jobs to Tłı̨chǫ people throughout the 25-year maintenance period, and I am pleased that our Tłı̨chǫ partnership North Star Infrastructure completed this job ‘on time and on budget,” he says.
This project has been a vision of the Tłı̨chǫ people for over 40 years, and we are proud of what we have all accomplished for the present and future generations.”
As of now, Whatì is a fly-in community outside of the months when access is possible thanks to a winter road.
The starting marker of the Tłı̨chǫ Highway is located at the intersection of Highway 3 at Km 196. The total cost of the project is approximately $411 million.
