The following is a list of territorial highways in the Northwest Territories of Canada. They are divided amongst Arterial Class Highways, of which there are six; Collector Class Highways, of which there are 23; and closed highways, of which there are two. Only some places in the Northwest Territories can be reached by means of highways.
Arterial Class Highways
[edit]Number | Length (km)[1] | Length (mi) | Southern or western terminus | Northern or eastern terminus | Local names | Formed | Removed | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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690.0 | 428.7 | ![]() |
Wrigley | Mackenzie Highway | 1949 | current | Longest highway in the territory |
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48.6 | 30.2 | ![]() |
Northwest corner of Vale Island in Hay River | Hay River Highway | 1949 | current | Shortest highway in the territory |
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338.8 | 210.5 | ![]() |
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Yellowknife Highway | 1960 | current | Also known as the Great Slave Highway |
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267.0 | 165.9 | ![]() |
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Fort Smith Highway | 1966 | current | Passes through Wood Buffalo National Park |
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254.1 | 157.9 | ![]() |
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Liard Highway | 1984 | current | Packed dirt and gravel road |
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272.5 | 169.3 | ![]() |
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Dempster Highway | 1979 | current | Canada's only all-weather road to cross the Arctic Circle; studies are being done to include a possible link to the Mackenzie Highway |
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi |
Collector Class Highways
[edit]Number | Length (km)[2] | Length (mi) | Southern or western terminus | Northern or eastern terminus | Local names | Formed | Removed | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Highway Aklavik Ice Road | 116 | 72 | Aklavik | ![]() |
Aklavik Ice Road | — | — | Seasonal |
Highway Colville Lake Winter Road | 165 | 103 | Wrigley-Fort Good Hope Winter Road | Colville Lake | Colville Lake Winter Road | 2008 | c.current | Seasonal |
Highway Délîne Winter Road | 105.3 | 65.4 | Wrigley-Fort Good Hope Winter Road | Délîne | Délîne Winter Road | — | — | Seasonal |
Highway Dettah Ice Road | 6.3 | 3.9 | Dettah | School Draw Avenue in Yellowknife | Dettah Ice Road | — | — | Seasonal |
Highway Dettah Road | 11.3 | 7.0 | Dettah | ![]() |
Dettah Road | — | —
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Highway Fort Liard Access Road | 5.3 | 3.3 | Fort Liard | ![]() |
Fort Liard Access Road | — | —
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Highway Fort McPherson Access Road | 1.1 | 0.68 | ![]() |
Fort McPherson | Fort McPherson Access Road | — | —
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Highway Fort Providence Access Road | 5.4 | 3.4 | ![]() |
Fort Providence | Fort Providence Access Road | — | —
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90.0 | 55.9 | ![]() |
Fort Resolution | Fort Resolution Highway | — | — | Also provides access to the former community of Pine Point. |
Highway Fort Simpson Access Road | 3.4 | 2.1 | ![]() |
Fort Simpson | Fort Simpson Access Road | — | —
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Highway Gamètì Winter Road | 128.0 | 79.5 | Whatì Winter Road | Gamètì | Gamètì Winter Road | — | — | Seasonal; previously Rae Lakes Ice Road |
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69.2 | 43.0 | ![]() |
Tibbitt to Contwoyto Winter Road | Ingraham Trail | 1965 | c.current | Provides access to Dettah (27 km (17 mi)) when the ice road (6.5 km (4.0 mi)) is closed. |
Highway Inuvik Access Road | 0.6 | 0.37 | ![]() |
Inuvik | Inuvik Access Road | — | —
| |
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133.6 | 83.0 | ![]() |
Tuktoyaktuk | Inuvik-Tuktoyaktuk Highway | 2017 | current | Replaced the Inuvik-Tuktoyaktuk Ice Road; construction began 2013, completed 2017 and opened in November. |
Highway Nahanni Butte Winter Road | 22.3 | 13.9 | Nahanni Butte | ![]() |
Nahanni Butte Winter Road | — | — | Seasonal |
Highway Sambaa K’e Winter Road | 126.0 | 78.3 | Sambaa K’e | ![]() |
Sambaa K’e Winter Road | — | — | Seasonal |
Highway Tibbitt to Contwoyto Winter Road | 568 | 353 | Tibbitt Lake | Contwoyto Lake, Nunavut | Tibbitt to Contwoyto Winter Road | 1982 | current | Private road first built in 1982 to service mines and exploration activities |
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97.0 | 60.3 | ![]() |
Whatì Winter Road near Whatì | Tłı̨chǫ Highway | 2021 | current | Opened in November 2021. |
Highway Rae Access Road | 10.5 | 6.5 | ![]() |
Rae borough in Behchokö | Rae Access Road | — | —
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Highway Wekweètì Winter Road | 235.0 | 146.0 | Whatì Winter Road | Wekweètì | Wekweètì Winter Road | 2019 | c.current | Seasonal |
Highway Whatì Winter Road | 100 | 62 | ![]() |
Whatì | Whatì Winter Road | — | — | Seasonal; previously Lac La Martre Winter Road |
Highway Wrigley-Fort Good Hope Winter Road | 486.4 | 302.2 | ![]() |
Fort Good Hope | Wrigley-Fort Good Hope Winter Road | — | — | Connects to Tulita (formerly Fort Norman), Norman Wells, Fort Good Hope, with 106 km branch route to Deline and 165 km branch route to Colville Lake. Thirty-four permanent bridges completed along route which can be used as part of an all-weather route. |
Highway Yellowknife Access Road | 3.6 | 2.2 | 49th Avenue, Yellowknife | Giant Mine Boat Launch Access Road | Yellowknife Access Road | — | — | Turns into 48th Street at 49th Avenue. |
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi |
Closed Highways
[edit]Highway | Name | Length (km)[3] | From[4] | To | Notes |
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Tuktoyaktuk Winter Road (closed) | 187 km (116 mi) | Inuvik | Tuktoyaktuk | Former ice road; closed permanently in April 2017 with the completion of the Inuvik-Tuktoyaktuk Highway | |
Canol Road (closed) | 357 km (222 mi) | Norman Wells | Macmillan Pass, Yukon/Northwest Territories border | Second World War road completed early 1943, abandoned mid-1945, now the Canol Heritage Trail, connecting to the active Yukon Highway 6, the Canol Road |
Access by community
[edit]The communities reached by the all-weather highway network are:
Communities that can only be reached by ice-road are:
Communities with no access by surface vehicle:
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Northwest Territories Department of Transportation, Highway Traffic, 2006 Archived 2013-05-23 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Northwest Territories Department of Transportation, Highway Traffic, 2006 Archived 2013-05-23 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Northwest Territories Department of Transportation, Highway Traffic, 2006 Archived 2013-05-23 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Highway Designation and Classification Regulations, N.W.T. Reg. 047-92