General Summary
The last two southbound trucks safely returned to Yellowknife yesterday evening to end a successful and safe winter road season.  In total there were 3506 trucks dispatched north and they carried approximately 121,000 tonnes of materials, fuel, cement, equipment etc.  There were a total of 424 backhauls from the various mines.

Over the next couple of days Nuna will be completing the required year-end activities to close out the road and the various camps which will also include a final inspection by the DIAND staff.

As of March 24th, the Tibbitt to Contwoyto Winter road will be officially closed for the season.  After this date, there will be no maintenance or services available on this road. The public is discouraged from using this road after this date.

Should the public decide to use the road after this date, they do so at their own risk.

Once again, on behalf of the Joint Venture we wish to express our appreciation to all involved for a safe and successful winter road haul season. 

General Summary
Overall, the road conditions are good along the length of the road. Warm daytime temperatures early in the week caused deterioration of portage conditions in the south end, but recent colder weather has stabilized these areas. Though some portage conditions are rougher than usual, they are all passable to truck traffic. Ice conditions have held well, despite the warmer temperatures. Areas of concern on Waite Lake are in good shape and the colder weather will only continue to improve these areas. Night operations continued until Monday, March 15th, when the road was closed for a 24 hour period due to warm weather. Since re-opening on March 16th, colder weather has allowed 24 hour operations to resume.

As of the morning of March 18th, a total of 3426 northbound trucks had been dispatched from Yellowknife and 379 backhauls have come south from the mines. A total of 464 trucks were dispatched during the reporting period, which was an average of 63 trucks per day. The highest daily total throughout the weeek was 96 trucks on March 17th

The dispatching of trucks north will cease on the evening of March 19, 2010 at 6 pm.

Based on this timeline, the various road camps have begun their preparations for road clean-up. Crews will continue road maintenance required to ensure the remaining loads are able to travel safely.

Next Seven Days
The focus will be essential road maintenance to ensure the safe travel of the remaining loads north and south. Efforts will shift to road closing activities once traffic has ceased. These activities include gravel haul, stockpiling, sign retrieval, and scraping of road ends to remove sand and gravel from the ice surface.

It is anticipated that the road camps will be successfully closed for the season by mid next week.

General Summary
As of this evening – 3414 loads for a total of approximately 117,000 tonnes have been dispatched north. 

With there now being a limited number of loads remaining - the Joint Venture has notified the mines and the major carriers that effective Friday March 19th at 1800 hours (6 pm) there will be no more planned loads dispatched Northbound.

If for some unforseen circumstance that a load needs to be moved north after this date/time- it must be approved by the Joint Venture and requests must be forwarded through Nuna dispatch.

A more complete weekly update will be provided tomorrow. 

General Summary
As of this morning – 3276 loads for a total of approximately 112,000 tonnes have been dispatched north.

After this evening there will be approximately 175 loads of fuel and equipment that still needs to head north.  It is anticipated that night-time travel only will continue and if this occurs over the next few nights - it is envisioned that the last remaining loads will be dispatched north on Thursday evening March 18th.  

The portages are requiring patch work during the day time periods and sanding is occurring daily in order to have them prepared for night time travel.  Ice thicknesses remain at 39 inches of ice.

General Summary
The road remains in fair-good condition with night travel operations progressing relatively smoothly.  The combination of sunlight and warmer temperatures are resulting in soft and wet conditions on the southern portages during the daytime, but fortunately, not to the same degree as previously experienced.  Night temperatures have dropped enough to harden up the portages and we have been successful in repairing the limited damage that has occurred. 

As of the morning of March 11th, a total of 2962 northbound trucks hauling approximately 100,000 tonnes had been dispatched from Yellowknife and 314 backhauls have come south from the mines.   

Ice conditions are generally good and we are maintaining close vigilance on the known trouble areas on Waite Lake and Ross Lake.  These areas continue to hold well.  The most recent ice-profile conducted show minimums of 39 inches of ice still with most of the road having thicknesses in the range of 40-44 inches of ice.  The road operation will remain at 39 inches for hauling purposes.

ATCO Frontec crews are scheduled to move up the road to conduct microwave tower refueling operations from March 13-16 and will be supported from winter road camps as they move north. 

YK Dispatch
A total of 619 trucks were dispatched during the reporting period, which was an average of 88 trucks per day.  The highest nightly total throughout the week was 102 trucks on the evening of March 6th.  The YK Dispatch office will continue to provide updates on road conditions to all users. 

Next Seven Days
Focus will remain the maintenance of portage conditions as well as identified problem areas on the ice.  With the current forecast, it is expected that night driving operations will continue for the foreseeable future.   Predicted remaining load count to complete the re-supply for the three diamond mines is estimated at around 450 loads.  Pending the current scheduled dispatching of trucks and weather conditions it is anticipated that the 2010 haul will be completed around March 16th or 17th.   The road camps have begun planning for camp closeout and will begin preparations over the next week. 

General Summary
The road is in poor-fair condition as a result of the recent warm weather that has softened portages and some lake surfaces.  Traffic was suspended at 1100hours on March 3rd due to the warm temperatures that caused some melting, run-off and pooling of water on many of the southern portages.  The road will remain closed until further notice as crews work night-time and early morning day hours to repair portages and as we wait for the onset of colder weather.  As of the morning of March 4th, a total of 2343 northbound trucks or approximately 77,000 tonnes had been dispatched from Yellowknife and 224 backhauls have come south from the mines.   

YK Dispatch
A total of 692 trucks were dispatched during the reporting period, which was an average of 99 trucks per day.  The highest daily total throughout the week was 117 trucks on February 27th.  The YK Dispatch office will continue to provide updates on road conditions to all users. 

Next Seven Days
Focus will be the maintenance of portage conditions to preserve the ice/snow cover and repair punch-outs along the portages.   Latest profile has ice thickness minimums remaining at 39 inches. At this time, it is anticipated that portage conditions should remain stable and with some colder temperatures in the evening this should allow for night time driving.

Traffic will resume with night driving only until road and weather conditions improve. Pending the effects of the sun and above zero temperatures again today, it is envisioned that traffic could resume north and south beginning this evening - March 4th.  However, this will be confirmed later this evening once crews are able to assess portage conditions later in the day. YK Dispatch will continue to provide updates regarding dispatch times to all users.

General Summary
The road is in good condition and has a minimum of 38” if ice thickness.  As of 1000hours, February 25th, a total of 1699 northbound trucks had been dispatched from Yellowknife and 152 backhauls have come south from the mines.    The much needed cold weather returned this week and has stabilized and improved ice conditions, particularly in the southern section of the road.  Trouble areas on Waite Lake and Ross Lake have improved.  Speeds will continue to remain reduced to 10 km/hr in many areas to help maintain current conditions. 

Dome Lake Segment (120 km)
Ice thicknesses within this section have improved to 38 inches or greater.  The road is in good condition as trouble spots on Waite Lake and Ross Lake have recovered.  The speed controls, cold weather and heavy flooding have been successful in re-building some of the ice in these areas and we are seeing more areas frozen to ground, which should reduce future washing.  Speed controls in these areas and other potential trouble spots will remain in place for the foreseeable future. 

Lockhart Lake Segment (165 km)
Ice minimums within this section are now 39 inches or greater.  The road condition in this section remains very good.  Speed limits on express lanes remain at 60 km/hr.  The cold weather has resulted in increased cracking and flood crews are concentrating efforts on surface repair. Tight blading work is being conducted and sand crews are focusing on portage maintenance. 

Lac de Gras Segment
Lakes within this section have ice thickness minimums of 40” or greater.  The cold weather has resulted in increased cracking, which is normal with colder temperatures.  Flooding and tight-blading continues in order to improve the ice surface.  Upgrades to Portage 49 are almost complete and the improved portage should be open to traffic later this week. 

YK Dispatch
A total of 710 trucks were dispatched during the reporting period, which was an average of 101 trucks per day.  The highest total throughout the week was 111 trucks on February 24th.  The YK Dispatch office will continue to provide updates on road conditions and weight increases to all users. 

Next Seven Days
A centre line profile is being conducted today to determine if there is enough ice for an additional weight increase.  The cold weather has assisted in improving overall ice conditions and it is anticipated that we will be able to maintain current levels of traffic flow for the immediate future.  Although warmer weather is forecasted, it is not anticipated that road conditions will change significantly unless there is a period of 5-8 days of sustained warm weather.  Efforts for the next few days will remain on flooding areas to grow ice, surface repair, and monitoring traditional trouble areas to identify potential under-washing of ice.  Sanding of portages will continue to ensure safe operating conditions as many of the portages remain slippery. 

General Summary
The road is in good condition and has a minimum of 37” of ice thickness.  As of 0700hours, February 18th, a total of 981 northbound trucks had been dispatched from Yellowknife and 99 backhauls have come south from the mines.  There was on incident where a southbound loaded freight truck went into a ditch on the Ingraham Trail during the early morning of February 14.  There were no injuries or environmental issues.  Dispatching from Yellowknife was halted for approximately 3 hours later that day to allow for recovery of the truck. 

The weather over the past week has remained warmer than average and ice growth remains slow, but is continuing. Flood crews and water trucks are working closely together with profiling crews to identify and target areas of thinner ice.  All express lanes are now open.

Dome Lake Segment (120 km)
Ice thicknesses within this section have minimums of 37 inches or greater.  The road remains in fair condition, with some minor wet cracks developing on some lakes.  Speed limits have been reduced in these areas and these cracks are healing within a few hours of developing.  At this point, they do not represent a significant hazard and will be monitored closely.  Flood crews continue to flood in these areas and in areas of thinner ice.  The majority of lakes have 38 inches or greater of ice.  Gordon Lake is the main section that continues to lag behind.  

Lockhart Lake Segment (165 km)
Ice minimums within this section are now 38 inches or greater.  The road condition in these areas remains very good.  All express lanes within this section are now open; however speed limits for empty trucks will remain at 60 km/hr until ice growth increases. 

Lac de Gras Segment
Lakes within this section have ice thickness minimums of 39” or greater.  MacKay Lake saw good ice growth over the past week and most lakes north of MacKay now have 40 inches or greater of ice.  Upgrades to Portage 49 are progressing well and should be completed within the next 7-10 days.    Drivers should be aware of crews working in the area during this time.  

YK Dispatch
A total of 650 trucks were dispatched during this weekly reporting period, which was an average of 92 trucks per day.  The highest total throughout the week was 106 trucks on 13 February.  The YK Dispatch office will continue to provide updates on road conditions and weight increases to all users. 

Next Seven Days
The main effort for the next seven days will be flooding of loaded lanes to bring ice growth closer to full capacity.  Centre-line profile will continue every 2-3 days and updates on ice thickness will be provided to the road users.  Sanding of portages will continue as the warmer weather has resulted in slippery portions in many areas.

General Summary
The road is in good condition and has a minimum of 36” if ice thickness.  As of 0700 on February 1, during the first week of operation, a total of 310 truck loads had been dispatched north to the mines with 37 backhaul loads coming south.  This represents an average of 44 trucks per day northbound, with a maximum of 76 trucks traveling north on February 10th. 

The weather over the past week has been warmer than average and ice growth is increasing slowly.  Flood crews and water trucks are working closely together with profiling crews to identify and target areas of thinner ice.  All express lanes are now open with the exception of Pensive Lake, Long Lake and the north end of MacKay Lake. 

Dome Lake Segment (120 km)
Ice thicknesses within this section have minimums of 36 inches or greater.  The road remains in good condition and crews are continuing to flood extensively.  Drivers should remain cautious when driving through flooded areas.   Some creek water is beginning to creep onto some portages, particularly on Portage 23.  This will be monitored closely as it may present a minor hazard to drivers.

Lockhart Lake Segment (165 km)
With the exception of two very localized areas on Warbuton Bay and Portage South, ice minimums within this section are at 37” or greater.  The road remains in good condition.  Some snowfall has accumulated over the past few days and clearing of small amounts of accumulation continue.  Some creek water is beginning to creep onto Portage 28 – this will be monitored closely.

Lac de Gras Segment
Lakes within this section have ice thickness minimums of 38” or greater, with the exception of MacKay Lake which has still has some minimums of 36”.  Crews continue to flood areas of thinner ice.  Upgrades to Portage 49 have begun and will continue for the next couple of weeks.  Drivers should be aware of crews working in the area during this time.  

YK Dispatch
The YK Dispatch office will continue to provide updates on road conditions and weight increases to all users. 

Next Seven Days
The main effort for the next seven days will be flooding of loaded lanes to assist in ice growth.  Temperatures remain warmer than normal and ice growth is expected to be slow until colder temperatures return.  EBA Engineering Consultants Ltd. is scheduled to conduct a second round of QA profiling from February 15-17. 

General Summary
Effective today, the road is open with a minimum ice thickness of 31”. YK Dispatch will continue to update on weight increases as minimum ice thickness increases.  All express lanes have been cleared to full width, however, many of the express lanes on the south end of the road will remain closed until there is sufficient ice thickness (28”).  For the next few days, this will result in a longer return time from the mine sites to Yellowknife for truck traffic as speeds on the loaded lane will be limited. Access points to lanes that are closed to traffic will be clearly marked with delineators and/or fluorescent snowballs. 

Profiling will continue on the centreline every second day to monitor ice growth and updates on allowable weights will be distributed by the YK Dispatch office. EBA Engineering Consultants Ltd. completed independent ice profiling in conjunction with our profiling crews from January 28-31 as part of the QA program for ice profiling. 

Dome Lake Segment
Ice thicknesses within this section have minimums of 32 inches or greater.  Express lanes on Pensive Lake, Ross Lake and Gordon Lake do not yet have sufficient ice thickness to open.  With the continued cold weather expected for the next few days, we are optimistic that these express lanes will open within the next 4-6 days. 

The trailer on Portage 21 is in place and operational.  This area will be two-way traffic this season and this may become a congested spot along the road once traffic increases.  Speed limits through this section of portage (approximately 400m) have been reduced to 10 km/hr given the likely presence of parked vehicles and dismounted drivers.

Lockhart Lake Segment
Lakes within this section have ice thickness minimums of 32”-36” with the exception of a small stretch on Warburton Bay that has 31” minimums.   Express lanes on Drybones Lake, Long Lake and Brown Lake remain closed as they do not yet have sufficient ice thickness.  Brown Lake and Drybones Lake express lanes may open within the next few days.  Long Lake may require more time before we expect ice thickness to reach allowable levels.

Lac de Gras Segment
Lakes within this section have ice thickness minimums of 36” or greater, with the exception of MacKay Lake which has minimums from 31”-34”.  Crews are continuing to flood areas of thinner ice. Continued cold weather is needed to make substantial gains in ice.  The majority of express lanes are open and we expect the remainder to be open within the next few days.  Construction Crews will be working on upgrades to Portage 49 over the next couple of weeks.  Drivers should be aware of crews working in the area during this time.  

YK Dispatch
The YK Dispatch office is fully manned and operations have begun.  They will continue to provide updates on road conditions and weight increases to all users.  Drivers are reminded to report to the Nuna Dispatch Yard a minimum of 20 minutes prior to departure times.  

Next Seven Days
The main effort for the next seven days will be flooding of express lanes to bring ice thicknesses up to allowable levels for opening.   Centre line profiles will continue and weight increases will be promulgated by YK Dispatch as they occur.  All road users are reminded that the allowable weight limits distributed and updated from time to time by Nuna Winter Road apply to the main loaded lane of the TCWR road.  These weight limits should not be relied upon for travel on spur roads or other roads leading off of the main TCWR road.  For example, as of today the minimum ice thickness on the SNAP Lake spur road is 28”.

Finally, given the amount of snow present on the majority of lakes, the ice under the snowbanks is not as thick as in previous years.  Drivers need to remain alert and should be extra vigilant in taking breaks at rest stops if required, as the risk associated with driving into a snowbank with your truck has increased. 

Tibbitt to Contwoyto Winter Road Update
Latest centreline profile completed yesterday (February 2nd) resulted in a minimum ice thickness on the main road of 31''. Therefore, Nuna dispatch will forward out to carrier and mining companies (very quickly) the GVW (gross vehicle weights) for 31 inches of ice which will be the opening ice thickness for Thursday February 4th. The allocated loads over the next few days will remain as outlined in the February 1st update.

It should be noted that the "spur road" into SNAP Lake from the main road has ice thickness that are slightly less then the main road in a few areas and are currently receiving focused flooding to assist in ice building. Carriers hauling into SNAP Lake should therefore confirm the approved GVW for loads into SNAP Lake until such time the ice thicknesses match the ice thickness on the main road. This will also be provided to Nuna dispatch.

From this point forward Yellowknife Nuna Dispatch will update carriers and mines regularly with weight increases as per previous years. The meadows check point trailer has been positioned at the meadows.

The next overall update for the road will be released on either Thursday February 4th or Friday February 5th.

General Summary and Status the Next Few Days
As of January 31, 2010 there were minimums of 29” along the entire road, with the exception of a very small stretch on each of MacKay Lake and Warbuton Bay, which has 28”.   Based on these results and the colder weather, the plan is still to start hauling freight loads on Thursday February 4th.  On this day there will be six freights loads allocated (2- BHPB), (2- DDMI), and (2 – DeBeers) then on Friday February 5th - 18 loads will be allocated (6 – BHPB), (6-DDMI), (6-DeBeers), and Saturday February 6th will see an allocation of 36 loads (12-BHPB), (12-Diavik), (12 – DeBeers).  Carriers and mining operations can review the assigned dispatch slots set out by Nuna dispatch on the Expressocode Dispatch system.  

Next centre line profile is scheduled for tomorrow Tuesday February 2nd.

Pending these results, Nuna dispatch will provide the start up GVW weights to all Carriers and Mines based on the ice thickness. It is most likely that pending the weather and ice conditions that opening ice thickness will between 30-31 inches.

Deton Cho Security staff are conducting orientation sessions February 1st and 2nd and will be dispatched up to the various road camps on February 3, 2010.

Next update will be provided early Wednesday morning February 3, 2010.

General Summary
The loaded lane has been cleared to full width throughout the length of the road.  The majority of lakes have greater than 27 inches of ice, though there remain some localized areas with 25-26 inches of minimum ice.  Portage construction has progressed well this week. Profiling and clearing of express lanes in the Lockhart Lake and Lac de Gras sections continued and the majority of express lanes are now open. 

Dome Lake Segment (120 km)
With the exception of localized areas on Gordon Lake, Gibbs Lake and Charlie’s Lake, minimum ice thickness along this section is 27 inches or greater.  A small area on Gordon Lake is lagging at 25 inches, and a larger, 3 km section of the lake has 25-26 inch minimums.  Flood crews will focus efforts on these sections.  The trailer on Portage 20 will be placed this week. 

Lockhart Lake Segment (165 km)
Ploughing crews have completed the clearing to full width of the road in the Lockhart Lake section.  Express lanes have been completed on Warburton Bay and Lockhart Lake.  Clearing of express lanes on Drybones Lake and Long Lake will be completed within the next three days.  Average minimum ice thicknesses along this section is 27” or greater, with some localized areas of thinner ice on Warburton Bay (24”) and Portage Lake South (26”).    Portage construction south of Lockhart Lake is nearing final completion. Portage construction north of Lockhart is also well underway and is scheduled to be finished within the next four days. 

Lac de Gras Segment
Ploughing crews have completed snow clearing to full width on the loaded lanes within this section.  Clearing of express lanes on MacKay Lake is ongoing and crews are continuing to be challenged in finding suitable ice for express lanes on the northern half of MacKay Lake.  Ice thickness minimums along the loaded lane in this section are 27” or greater.  Portage work is largely complete with final finishing work over the next few days.

YK Dispatch
The YK Dispatch trailer continues to support road operations from the Bristol Pit. Training of dispatchers will be conducted in the next week in final preparations for road opening.

Next Seven Days
The main effort for the next seven days will be flooding of areas with thinner ice as we work to increase ice minimums.  Express lanes on MacKay Lake, Drybones Lake and Long Lake will be completed and final signage will be placed in preparation for road opening.  The meadows trailer will be placed by February 3rd.  The onset of colder weather should assist in ice growth and profiling will continue in order to closely monitor ice growth. 

The portage work is largely completed with only final finishing remaining.  All other work in preparation for road opening has been completed or will be completed within the next week.  The critical factor for road opening remains ice thickness.  As we are still seven days from anticipated road opening (planned for February 4th or 5th), it remains early to predict weight limits and ice thickness minimums for opening traffic.   As per previous years, plan will be to dispatch 6 light freight loads on the first day (2-BHPB, 2- DDMI, and 2- DeBeers) with gradual controlled light loads over the first 3-4 days.  

Ice growth will continue to be monitored closely and an updated minimum thickness for the road will be provided on Monday February 1st .

General Summary
The road has been cleared to full width along the entire route with the exception of approximately 10 kms of trail on the south end of MacKay Lake.  Deep snow and thinner ice has made progress slower than normal as the heavier equipment traditionally used on this end of the road could not be employed due to less ice thickness than normal.   Portage work along the length of the road continues at a good pace with the majority of portages on the south end of the road now complete.  Ice thickness minimums are less than those seen last season at this same timeframe and this is attributed the insulation factor of the deeper snow this season.

Dome Lake Segment (120 km)
All lakes have been cleared to full width and express lanes on Gordon, Ross and Pensive Lakes are also complete  The average minimum ice thickness along this section ranges from 24”-26”, though some smaller lakes have minimums of 22”-23”.  Portage work has been largely completed from the high grade to Portage 19, with some minor maintenance still required. Crews have begun work on Portage 20 and will continuing to work north on the 12 kms of portages between Gordon Lake and Brown Lake. 

Lockhart Lake Segment (165 km)
The loaded lanes in this section have been cleared between Brown Lake and the south end of MacKay Lake. Crews are completing the final section on the south end of MacKay and should meet the Lac de Gras crews by the end of night shift tomorrow morning.  Once open through MacKay Lake, clearing of express lanes on Warburton, Lockhart and Drybones will begin. 

Average minimum ice thicknesses along this section ranges from 25”-27”, with some smaller lakes at 23”-24” minimums.  Profiling for express lanes on Drybones, Lockhart Lake and Warburton will begin now that road opening on the loaded lane is approaching completion.  Portage construction continues with portages between Lockhart Lake and Brown Lake now completed with only minor maintenance required. 

Lac de Gras Segment
Crews have completed ploughing 72 kms on MacKay Lake and are scheduled to meet up with Lockhart Lake crews by the end of night shift tomorrow morning.  Crews will then begin clearing of express lanes along Mackay.  All lakes north of MacKay are cleared to full width, including all express lanes.  Minimum ice thickness on MacKay Lake is 24” due to the deep snow.  Between MacKay Lake and Ekati, the minimum ice thickness is 28. Portage crews are continuing work south of Lac de Gras towards Portage 49. 

YK Dispatch
The YK Dispatch trailer continues to support road operations from the Bristol Pit. 

Next Seven Days
The main effort for the next seven days will be portage construction and ploughing to keep loaded lanes free from snow accumulation to promote ice growth.  Flood crews will continue to target lakes with thinner ice.  Clearing of express lanes on the north end will begin and tight-blading will continue along the length of the road.  Snow clearing and portage work are on schedule.  We now look for colder weather to return to accelerate ice growth over the next two weeks.  The JV will provide more frequent updates every 3-4 days starting early next week.

General Summary
All three Winter Road camps are at full crew strength and road construction continues. Heavy snow and high winds during the week has hampered progress, however crews are still making steady gains. Currently, the loaded lane has been cleared to full width between the Ingraham Trail and the south end of Warburton Bay. On the north end, the road has been cleared to full width from Ekati to the north end of MacKay Lake. Minimum ice thickness between Ekati and Diavik is 25”.

Dome Lake Segment (120 km)
Profiling continues along the full length of this section of road with priority to the express lanes on Gordon Lake, Pensive Lake and Ross Lake. Ice thickness minimum on the loaded lane between the high grade and the south end of Gordon Lake is 21”. On Gordon Lake and north to Brown Lake, minimum ice thickness ranges from 17”-20”. This section has received heavy snowfall over the past week, with accumulations between 4-8” of snow. Ploughing crews have been busy re-clearing lakes to full width throughout the week. Most lakes have now been re-cleared and initial clearing of Express Lanes on Gordon Lake should begin today. Portage work has been largely completed from the high grade to Portage 13, with some minor maintenance still required. Flood crews continue to work double shift focussing on thinner areas between Gordon Lake and the high grade.

Lockhart Lake Segment (165 km)
Profiling efforts are focused north from Lockhart Lake towards MacKay. Minimum ice thicknesses range from 19”-22” along most of the route.

Snowfall and blowing snow have caused additional re-clearing of most lakes within the Lockhart Lake section. Crews are conducting initial clearing on the south end of Warburton Bay and will continue north towards MacKay Lake. Portages between Lockhart Lake and Lake and Portage 32 have been completed and crews will continue to work south towards Charlie’s hill. Flood crews began work on January 9th and are targeting smaller lakes in the south to enhance ice thickness.

Lac de Gras Segment
Profiling continues south onto MacKay Lake. The first 27 kms of MacKay has been profiled with ice thickness minimums at 24”. Efforts have been hampered by heavy snow, high winds and poor visibility. The airstrip is open to Twin Otter aircraft. The loaded lanes have been cleared to full width between Ekati and the north end of MacKay Lake. Heavy snow and high winds has caused extensive drifting and crews are concentrating on keeping portages clear of snow. Initial snow clearing south on MacKay Lake should continue within the next day. Portage crews are working hard to keep portages open from blowing and drifting snow. Flooding efforts have been curtailed by snow and drifting snow. Flood crew will continue to target thinner lakes to enhance ice thicknesses.

YK Dispatch
The YK Dispatch shack continues to support road operations from the Bristol Pit.

Next Seven Days
The main effort for the next seven days will be road opening efforts on MacKay Lake to clear the loaded lanes to full width. With favourable weather, it is reasonable that Lockhart and Lac de Gras crews should meet on MacKay within the next week. Portage work north of Gordon Lake will also increase to try and reduce travel time for crews.

General Summary
All three Winter Road camps are now open and road construction has begun.  The Dome Lake camp opened on December 29, 2009.  The camp at Lockhart Lake opened on January 2nd and Lac de Gras opened on January 4th.  Ice profiling and snow clearing operations have begun at all three camps. 

Dome Lake Segment (120 km)
Dome Lake camp is fully functioning with a full construction crew.  Profiling has been completed from Tibbitt to Brown Lake. The majority of lakes profiled have ice thickness minimums of 17” – 18”, with some lakes having higher minimums. The Snowcats are operating double shift and have been cleared to full width from the Ingraham Trail to the half way point on Gordon Lake.  Snow cover is very hard packed and progress is average.  Initial portage work has been completed between Portage 9-13.  Flood crews commence double shifts on January 7th and our focusing efforts on areas south of Dome Lake.

Lockhart Lake Segment (165 km)
Lockhart Lake camp is fully functioning with a full construction crew.  Profiling has been completed between Lockhart and Portage 32. The airstrip at Lockhart Lake has been cleared and marked, and is open to Twin Otter aircraft.  Profiling north from Lockhart Lake will begin in the next few days.  Snowcats and light plough trucks have begun clearing to full width from Lockhart Lake south to Drybones Lake.  Snow cover is hard packed with drifts and average progress is being made.   Initial portage construction has begun south of Lockhart Lake.  Flood crews are scheduled to begin at Lockhart Lake on 9 January.

Lac de Gras Segment
Profiling will commence north to the Diavik and Ekati access roads today.  The airstrip on Portage 55 is open. 

YK Dispatch
The YK Dispatch shack has been setup at the Bristol Pit and is supporting camp operations and preparing for road opening. 

Next Seven Days
Crews at Dome Lake and Lockhart Lake will continue profiling and ploughing north and south respectively until they meet.  Lockhart Lake crews will then continue north from Lockhart camp towards MacKay Lake.  Portage work between Dome Lake and the Ingraham Trail will continue over the next week.  Crews at Lac de Gras will open road north to the Diavik and Ekati access roads, then focus south towards MacKay Lake. 

Tibbitt to Contwoyto Winter Road Update
Hello all

Just thought I would send out a quick e-mail on the status of the 2010 road.

As was discussed at the pre-road meeting on December 11th - predicted load counts are in the 3300-3500 load range with tonnages being around 118,000. Current planning of the opening of the road is February 3-5 timeframe and closing around March 20, 2010. Obviously this depends on weather, road construction and how the operation runs throughout February and March.

There will not be a secondary road in 2009. The road will once again this year end at the BHPB turn-off and will NOThead north to Tahera.

The Yellowknife Dispatch trailer was situated last week and energized so it is ready for construction mobilization after Christmas. Nuna personnel undertook ice checks last week and on average ice thickness measurements along the entire route from Tibbitt to Lac de Gras were 3-4 inches thicker then last year at the same time period.

Nuna work crews will mobilize into Dome Lake on December 27th and 28th then into the Lockhart and Lac de Gras camps shortly after New Years.

Expect next update near the end of the first week of January 2010.

Merry Christmas to you and your family and have a safe Christmas and New Years.