UPDATE: A 7:56 p.m. update now states the road will be open for small vehicles until 8 p.m. April 21.
“The Aklavik Ice Road is OPEN for the next 24 hours for the returning home of light vehicles less than 10,000 kg,” says the update. “Ice road will close for the season at 08:00PM on April 21, 2024, please watch and obey the instructions of flag-person at kilometer 88.”
ORIGINAL STORY FOLLOWS:
The Aklavik Ice Road is now closed for the season.
An announcement was released by the GNWT in the latest Highway Update, issued 12:12 p.m. April 20.
“Please drive according to all road conditions, follow all speed limits, watch for workers and equipment working; and expect uneven surfaces, as well as slippery and narrow sections throughout all roads,” reads the notice. “Icy conditions and standing water patches throughout all roads this time of year. Remember to always use your headlights and seatbelts.”
Other ice crossings are currently still open. The Peel River Ice crossing at km 74 of the Dempster Highway 8 is open to traffic weighing a maximum of 64,000 kilograms. The Mackenzie River Ice crossing at km 142.6 of the Dempster Highway 8 is open to vehicles weighing a maximum of 64,000 kilograms.
Travel on the Inuvik-Tuktoyaktuk Highway is limited to one lane traffic between kilometer 26 and 30. Drivers are asked to watch for equipment between kilometer 26 and 70 and to drive carefully. The Dempster Highway is open, but the Yukon government has imposed a weight restriction of 75 per cent legal axle at the Dempster Highway junction.