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TransportationInfrastructure8TuesdaySeptember102013Basicallytheywanttoensurethatwhatweputtherewilllastalongtimeanddoesntbecomeamaintenanceissue.JimStevensNWTdepartmentofTransportationPoliticsFederalPhotocourtesyofGNWTByMARIACHURCHWithrecentapprovalfromtheLegislativeAssemblysup-portfromthePrimeMinisterandanaldesigndeterminedthe300-millionInuviktoTuk-toyaktukHighwayprojecthasatentativeconstructiondatesetforJanuary2014butitisstillfacingseveralhurdlesbeforeworkcanbegin.Itsundergoingnalin-ternalreviewbutwedohaveanaldesignforboththeroadalignmentandproposedbridgesandculvertsalongthehighway.Theremaybesometweakstodesignsbutthatswhyweredoingthenalre-viewonitsaidJimStevenstheprojectdirector.Basicallytheywanttoen-surethatwhatweputtherewilllastalongtimeanddoesntbecomeamaintenanceissuehetoldTheJournal.Currentlythehighwayproj-ectisawaitingadecisiononacontractortoundertaketheconstruction.StevenssaidthechosencontractorwilllikelybeannouncedinNovemberallowingtheprojecttogetsomewhatofamoveon.Thiswouldallowcon-structiontostartinitiallyonthegravelpits.Wehavetodevelopthepitsforthemate-rial.ThensometimelateJan-uaryyouwouldactuallyseeconstructiononthenewroadembankmentbeginhesaid.AnotherhurdlefortheprojectisobtainingawaterlicensethroughhearingsfromtheNWTwaterqualityboardStevenssaid.Thewaterboardisinterestedintwoissues...Theywanttomakesureallofourconstruc-tionactivitiesmaintaincurrentwaterqualitysotheyrelookingforalotofthingsaroundsedi-mentationanderosioncontrolandwhattypeofstructureswereputtingaroundthehigh-way.Andthesecondissueiswaterquantity.Wehavetoex-tractalotofwateroutoftheadjacentlakeshesaid.Apre-hearingconferencehasbeensetforSept.16whichcouldpotentiallyleadtopublichearingsinbothInuvikandTuk.OntopofthisStevenssaidthewaterboardwillbescru-tinizingtheprojecttomakesureitsatisesconcernsfromotherregulatorsaffectedbythehighwayroutesuchasthefederaldepartmentofFisher-iesandOceanstheInuvialuitLandAdministrationandco-managementgroups.ThehighwaywillrunthroughtheInuvialuitSettle-mentRegionbutnegotiationsbetweentheGNWTandtheIn-uvialuitRegionalCorp.IRCinvolvingtheroyaltyrateformaterialusedinconstructionandthelandtenureagreementhavenotyetbeennalized.TheGNWTisinactivene-gotiationswiththem.AnalagreementhasyettobereachedbutweanticipatesomethingverysoonStevenssaid.HenotedthatthecurrentprocessproposedtoobtainlandtenurecouldinvolvealandswappingdealinwhichtheCrownprovideslandtore-placetheprivateIRClandsur-roundingthefuturehighway.DespiteallthestepsyettobetakenStevenssaidtheprojecthasbeengainingmo-mentumandlookslikeitwillbringinrevenueandcreateskilledlabour.Itsabigproject-alotofexcitementupthere.Weareworkingwithregulatorsandresidentstoensurethattheprojectgoesforwardsuccess-fullyhesaid.Inuvik-TukhighwayinchesclosertoconstructionByJACKDANYLCHUKDoggedbyicefloesandharshweatherthelatestchapterinthesearchforthelostshipsoftheFranklinexpeditionisscheduledtoclosenextweekwithoutturningupatraceoftheErebusandTerror.EverykilometrecoveredbringsuscloserMarcAndreBernierParksCanadaschiefunderwaterarchaeologistsaidlastweekputtingthebestpos-sibleglossontheeffortthathascoveredmorethan1000square-kmsincethelatestquestbeganveyearsago.AsthemostvisiblefeatureofPrimeMinisterStephenHarpersefforttoassertCa-nadiansovereigntyintheArc-ticthesearchfortheelusivevesselshasbecomeamagnetforcriticsofthegovernmentseffortsintheNorth.UniversityofBritishColum-biaprofessorMichaelByersauthorofanewbookoninter-nationallawandtheArcticsatirizedtheHarpergovern-mentseffortsintheNorthinarecentessaycomparingthePrimeMinistertobothAustinPowersandVladimirPutinsJamesBond.PoliticalcynicsmightfocusonthefactthatfundingtheFrank-linsearchcostsatinyfractionofwhatseriousArcticinfrastructurelikeportsandroadswouldcost.Andthatitoffersapotentialpub-licrelationspayoutintheshortterminotherwordsbeforethenextelectionByerssaidinanemailtoTheJournal.ButIjustwantthemtondtheshipsheadded.FindingtheErebusorTerrorwouldbeamajorcontributiontoArc-tichistory.Lastyearthegovernmentlaidout275000totrackdownthenalrestingplacesofthefamouswrecks.Bycompari-sonOttawaspent200000intotaltosearchforthewrecksin20082010and2011.WorkingfromtheArcticRe-searchFoundationsResearchVesselMartinBergmannthesix-weekParksCanada-ledsur-veyagainusedtraditionalside-scansonartosurveytheseabedaroundKingWilliamIsland.Thisyear160000wasallocatedtothesearchandanother450000fornewspecializedequipmentbutBerniersaiditprobablywontbedeployeduntilnextyearthenalseasoninthelatestefforttondthevessels.Technicaldifcultieskeptvauntedadditionstothesearchanautonomousun-derwatervehicleAUVandremotely-operatedvehicleROVoutofthegame.ButevenwiththeequipmentattheirdisposalsearcherscouldhavefoundsomethingassmallasashipstimberBerniersaidandtheycouldeasilyndlargefragmentsoranentirehull.MarcGarneauLiberalcriticforForeignAffairsTradeandDe-velopmentsaidthegovernmentspromiseofarmedArcticpatrolvesselshasbeendowngradedtoonenon-armedicebreaker.ThedeepwaterportatNa-nisivikremainslittlemorethananunheatedwarehousewithalimitedsupplyoffuelandcon-structionhasyettoevenbeginontheCanadianHighArcticresearchstationwhichwasannouncedin2007hesaid.UniversityofCalgarypo-liticalscientistRobHuebertaspecialistonthemilitaryandtheArcticsaidinaninterviewthatHarperwillhavetomakeasignicantstepononeofthosemajorspendingpromiseswithinthenextsixmonths.ThegovernmenthasgonetosignicantefforttodrawattentiontotheArcticHuebertsaidbutwiththeleadtimeneededtostartworkonaprojectliketheArcticvesselstheywillhavetoshorcutbait.IthinktherewillbeanannouncementbyChristmas.SearchforErebusandTerrordrawsanotherblankWewouldliketothankthepeoplewhosupporteduswithdonationsofmoneyfoodflowersandcards.SpecialthankstotheMtisAssociationNorthernLightsSpecialCareHomeKaesersandNorthernStore.TheBourkefamilyappreciatesalltheprayersandkindnessofferedduringthelossofourdearmotherDelia.AculvertisinstalledonanaccessroadleadingtothefutureInuvik-TukHighwaynowprojectedtobeginconstructioninJanuary2014.