Mild weather slows efforts to build ice bridge in Dawson City

Efforts to build an ice bridge across the Yukon River at Dawson City have so far been frustrated because the weather hasn't been cold enough.

"There's a lot of things beyondour control, and the biggest one is the temperature both air temperature and water temperature," said Brian Cristof Yukon's department of Highways and Public Works.

"We just haven't seen those temperatures dropped down to much below 20 [C]."

Last month, engineers hired by the government installed a log boom across a stretch of open water on the river. The hope was that it would allow ice to accumulate and solidify enough to support a road.

"You need a basis of ice to start with ... and we still don't even have that," Cristsaid.

Since Dec. 1, the temperature in Dawson has dipped below30 C on only six days. The first few days of2019 have also been relatively mild, reaching highs above10 C when the average for this time of year is about22 C.

Crist is staying optimistic, though, since temperatures are expected to drop in the coming week. If all goes well, he's still hoping to seea functional bridge within a couple of weeks, "for light traffic at least."

If so, it would be the first government-sanctioned and maintained ice bridge in Dawson since 2016. An attempt to build one last year failed, partly because of mild weather.

Residents of West Dawson made do in recent years by finding other stable routes across the river, but Cristsays the government is committed to maintaining its own safe crossing at the traditional spot, where there is road infrastructure on either side.

"We just can't endorse alternate ice bridges, especially during these warmer conditions and whatnot," he said.

"So it's just a case of waiting and seeing right now and hoping that Mother Nature cooperates with us."