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Ice roads are temporary highways formed by using frozen rivers and lake surfaces. They facilitate transportation to and from communities without permanent roads, and are commonly seen in isolated regions in Canada's north and Alaska's bush.
Ice roads Ice roads have a crucial role in enabling goods to be brought into communities without permanent road access. In many of these communities, air transportation is used at other times of the year to bring in goods including food and supplies, but this can be prohibitively costly for bulky goods such as building supplies and heavy equipment. In general, these roads are built in areas where construction of year-round roads is expensive due to many river crossings, and the presence of boggy muskeg land. When frozen in winter, these obstacles are easier to cross. In the case of ice roads such as the stretch from Inuvik and Tuktoyuktuk, Northwest Territories, Canada provides an almost level driving surface with few detours several months of the year. Depending on the region, ice roads last anywhere from a few weeks to several months before they become impassable. The roads are normally the domain of large trucks, although cars are occasionally seen. John Denison is credited as an early pioneer of ice roads in the Canadian Arctic 1950s-1970s. Ice bridges Ice bridges are temporary bridges formed by using frozen rivers and lake surfaces. They facilitate transportation to and from communities without permanent roads, and are commonly seen in isolated regions in Canada's north. They generally are seasonal replacements for the summer ferry service. In general, these bridges are built in areas where construction of year-round roads is expensive. When frozen in winter, the river is built up with a system of auger holes to flood and thicken the crossing. Depending on the region, ice bridges last anywhere from a few weeks to several months before they become impassable. See also | ||||||||
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