List of Northwest Territories highways

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The following is a list of territorial highways in the Northwest Territories of Canada. They are divided amongst Arterial Class Highways, of which there are six; Collector Class Highways, of which there are 23; and closed highways, of which there are two. Only some places in the Northwest Territories can be reached by means of highways.

Contents

Arterial Class Highways

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NumberLength (km) [1] Length (mi)Southern or western terminusNorthern or eastern terminusLocal namesFormedRemovedNotes
NWT-1.svg Highway 1 690.0428.7Alberta Highway 35.svg Hwy 35 at Alberta border north of Indian Cabins Wrigley Mackenzie Highway01949-01-011949currentLongest highway in the territory
NWT-2.svg Highway 2 48.630.2NWT-1.svg Highway 1 in Enterprise Northwest corner of Vale Island in Hay River Hay River Highway01949-01-011949currentShortest highway in the territory
NWT-3.svg Highway 3 338.8210.5NWT-1.svg Highway 1 near Fort Providence NWT-4.svg Highway 4 in Yellowknife Yellowknife Highway01960-01-011960currentAlso known as the Great Slave Highway
NWT-5.svg Highway 5 267.0165.9NWT-2.svg Highway 2 near Hay River Alberta Highway 48.svg Hwy 48 at Alberta border in Fort Smith Fort Smith Highway01966-01-011966currentPasses through Wood Buffalo National Park
NWT-7.svg Highway 7 254.1157.9BC-77.svg Hwy 77 at British Columbia border south of Fort Liard NWT-1.svg Highway 1 near Fort Simpson Liard Highway01984-01-011984currentPacked dirt and gravel road
NWT-8.svg Highway 8 272.5169.3Yukon Highway 5.svg Hwy 5 at Yukon borderNWT-10.svg Highway 10 in Inuvik Dempster Highway01979-01-011979currentCanada's only all-weather road to cross the Arctic Circle; studies are being done to include a possible link to the Mackenzie Highway
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

Collector Class Highways

Collector Class Highways
NumberLength (km) [2] Length (mi)Southern or western terminusNorthern or eastern terminusLocal namesFormedRemovedNotes
Highway Aklavik Ice Road11672 Aklavik NWT-8.svg Highway 8 in InuvikAklavik Ice RoadSeasonal
Highway Colville Lake Winter Road165103Wrigley-Fort Good Hope Winter Road Colville Lake Colville Lake Winter Road02008-01-01c.2008currentSeasonal
Highway Délîne Winter Road105.365.4Wrigley-Fort Good Hope Winter Road Délîne Délîne Winter RoadSeasonal
Highway Dettah Ice Road6.33.9 Dettah School Draw Avenue in YellowknifeDettah Ice RoadSeasonal
Highway Dettah Road11.37.0 Dettah NWT-4.svg Highway 4 Dettah Road
Highway Fort Liard Access Road5.33.3 Fort Liard NWT-7.svg Highway 7 Fort Liard Access Road
Highway Fort McPherson Access Road1.10.68NWT-8.svg Highway 8 Fort McPherson Fort McPherson Access Road
Highway Fort Providence Access Road5.43.4NWT-3.svg Highway 3 Fort Providence Fort Providence Access Road
NWT-6.svgHighway 690.055.9NWT-5.svg Highway 5 near Hay River Fort Resolution Fort Resolution Highway Also provides access to the former community of Pine Point.
Highway Fort Simpson Access Road3.42.1NWT-1.svg Highway 1 Fort Simpson Fort Simpson Access Road
Highway Gamètì Winter Road128.079.5Whatì Winter Road Gamètì Gamètì Winter RoadSeasonal; previously Rae Lakes Ice Road
NWT-4.svg Highway 4 69.243.0NWT-3.svg Highway 3 in Yellowknife Tibbitt to Contwoyto Winter Road Ingraham Trail 01965-01-01c.1965currentProvides access to Dettah (27 km (17 mi)) when the ice road (6.5 km (4.0 mi)) is closed.
Highway Inuvik Access Road0.60.37NWT-8.svg Highway 8 Inuvik Inuvik Access Road
NWT-10.svg Highway 10 133.683.0NWT-8.svg Highway 8 near Inuvik Tuktoyaktuk Inuvik-Tuktoyaktuk Highway 02017-01-012017currentReplaced the Inuvik-Tuktoyaktuk Ice Road; construction began 2013, completed 2017 and opened in November.
Highway Nahanni Butte Winter Road22.313.9 Nahanni Butte NWT-7.svg Highway 7 Nahanni Butte Winter RoadSeasonal
Highway Sambaa K’e Winter Road126.078.3 Sambaa K’e NWT-1.svg Highway 1 Sambaa K’e Winter RoadSeasonal
Highway Tibbitt to Contwoyto Winter Road568353 Tibbitt Lake Contwoyto Lake, Nunavut Tibbitt to Contwoyto Winter Road 01982-01-011982currentPrivate road first built in 1982 to service mines and exploration activities
NWT-9.svg Highway 9 97.060.3NWT-3.svg Highway 3 near Behchokǫ̀ Whatì Winter Road near Whatì Tłı̨chǫ Highway 02021-01-012021currentOpened in November 2021.
Highway Rae Access Road10.56.5NWT-3.svg Highway 3 Rae borough in Behchokö Rae Access Road
Highway Wekweètì Winter Road235.0146.0Whatì Winter Road Wekweètì Wekweètì Winter Road02019-01-01c.2019currentSeasonal
Highway Whatì Winter Road10062NWT-3.svg Highway 3 Whatì Whatì Winter RoadSeasonal; previously Lac La Martre Winter Road
Highway Wrigley-Fort Good Hope Winter Road486.4302.2NWT-1.svg Highway 1 Fort Good Hope Wrigley-Fort Good Hope Winter RoadConnects to Tulita (formerly Fort Norman), Norman Wells, Fort Good Hope, with 106 km branch route to Deline and 165 km branch route to Colville Lake. Thirty-four permanent bridges completed along route which can be used as part of an all-weather route.
Highway Yellowknife Access Road3.62.249th Avenue, YellowknifeGiant Mine Boat Launch Access RoadYellowknife Access RoadTurns into 48th Street at 49th Avenue.
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

Closed Highways

HighwayNameLength (km) [3] From [4] ToNotes
Tuktoyaktuk Winter Road (closed)187 km (116 mi) Inuvik Tuktoyaktuk Former ice road; closed permanently in April 2017 with the completion of the Inuvik-Tuktoyaktuk Highway
Canol Road (closed)357 km (222 mi) Norman Wells Macmillan Pass, Yukon/Northwest Territories borderSecond World War road completed early 1943, abandoned mid-1945, now the Canol Heritage Trail, connecting to the active Yukon Highway 6, the Canol Road

Access by community

The communities reached by the all-weather highway network are:

Communities that can only be reached by ice-road are:

Communities with no access by surface vehicle:

See also

Related Research Articles

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The Northwest Territories is a federal territory of Canada. At a land area of approximately 1,127,711.92 km2 (435,412.01 sq mi) and a 2021 census population of 41,070, it is the second-largest and the most populous of the three territories in Northern Canada. Its estimated population as of the second quarter of 2024 is 44,920. Yellowknife is the capital, most populous community, and only city in the territory; its population was 20,340 as of the 2021 census. It became the territorial capital in 1967, following recommendations by the Carrothers Commission.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yellowknife</span> Capital city of the Northwest Territories, Canada

Yellowknife is the capital, largest community, and only city in the Northwest Territories, Canada. It is on the northern shore of Great Slave Lake, about 400 km (250 mi) south of the Arctic Circle, on the west side of Yellowknife Bay near the outlet of the Yellowknife River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tulita</span> Hamlet in Northwest Territories, Canada

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great Slave Lake</span> Lake in the Northwest Territories, Canada

Great Slave Lake is the second-largest lake in the Northwest Territories of Canada, the deepest lake in North America at 614 m (2,014 ft), and the tenth-largest lake in the world by area. It is 469 km (291 mi) long and 20 to 203 km wide. It covers an area of 27,200 km2 (10,500 sq mi) in the southern part of the territory. Its given volume ranges from 1,070 km3 (260 cu mi) to 1,580 km3 (380 cu mi) and up to 2,088 km3 (501 cu mi) making it the 10th or 12th largest by volume.

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Enterprise is a hamlet in the South Slave Region of the Northwest Territories, Canada, located between Great Slave Lake and the Alberta border on the Hay River.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colville Lake, Northwest Territories</span> Settlement Corporation in Northwest Territories, Canada

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Behchokǫ̀</span> Community in Northwest Territories, Canada

Behchokǫ̀, officially the Tłı̨chǫ Community Government of Behchokǫ̀, is a community in the North Slave Region of the Northwest Territories, Canada. Behchokǫ̀ is located on the Yellowknife Highway, on the northwest tip of Great Slave Lake, approximately 110 km (68 mi) northwest of Yellowknife.

Kakisa is a "Designated Authority" in the South Slave Region of the Northwest Territories, Canada. The community is located on Kakisa Lake, and is southeast of Fort Providence. Originally located at Tathlina Lake, the community moved, in 1962, to the present location in order to be closer to the Mackenzie Highway and is linked by a 13 km (8.1 mi) all-weather road.

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References