The CBC reports:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/yukon-government-options-river-crossing-dawson-city-1.6883095
Quotet's been a topic of conversation among many residents in Dawson City, Yukon, for decades.
Should a bridge be built over the Yukon River connecting the historic town site to West Dawson, Sunnydale, and the Top of the World Highway?
"Nothing is not on the table to discuss," said Jim Regimbal, northern area superintendent for the territory's department of Highways and Public Works. "We're open to the best solution for everyone."
Over the past couple of years the George Black ferry, which shuttles passengers and vehicles across the river, has experienced numerous issues ranging from mechanical to administrative, and that's resulted in service being stopped – for an hour, or even up to a few days.
... Fre Strid, who lives in West Dawson with his family, said he's used the ferry for most of his life. He also said times have changed and the government should consider that when thinking about new river crossing options.
"There's 200 hundred people living in West Dawson now," he said. "When I was a kid there might have been 30 or 40. So right off the bat you've got that many more people trying to get to work." ... He said sometimes he waits up to an hour to make the five-minute ferry crossing. But he doesn't think a bigger ferry is the solution, either.
(https://i.cbc.ca/1.6883269.1687305535!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/original_1180/george-black-ferry-dawson-city.jpg)
You also have the times between river icing (no ferry) and full ice-over when no one can get between the two sides. I fully see the use of a bridge.
Getting Deh Cho Bridge (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deh_Cho_Bridge) vibes from this proposal.
Economically I'm pretty sure the Deh Cho Bridge is responsible for far more commerce than this bridge would be. But it would provide a 2nd crossing to Alaska and not be susceptible to the whims of the weather.
Quote from: JREwing78 on June 24, 2023, 07:50:05 PM
Economically I'm pretty sure the Deh Cho Bridge is responsible for far more commerce than this bridge would be. But it would provide a 2nd crossing to Alaska and not be susceptible to the whims of the weather.
Alaska routinely closes its part of the Top of the World Highway (AK 5/YT 9) in the winter, even though that strands residents of Chicken and Eagle who might prefer to live there year-round. This is done in coordination with the winter closures of the Boundary border crossing and Yukon's part of Top of the World. What little population in the Dawson City area lives on the west bank of the Yukon River, probably has to move east of the river in the winter (unlike the Northwest Territories, Yukon doesn't do ice bridges). So I doubt there is more interest in accommodating them than for the residents of Chicken and Eagle.
The Deh Cho Bridge gets a lot of truck traffic to and from territorial capital Yellowknife, and other communities on its side of the Mackenzie River. Those truckers have to pay hefty tolls, to cover some of the costs of bridge construction.
Quote from: oscar on June 24, 2023, 09:16:34 PM
The Deh Cho Bridge gets a lot of truck traffic to and from territorial capital Yellowknife, and other communities on its side of the Mackenzie River. Those truckers have to pay hefty tolls, to cover some of the costs of bridge construction.
Speaking of the Deh Cho bridge, Google maps need to update its streeview of that area who wasn't updated since 2009. https://goo.gl/maps/ZnAG9Rcz6FtqVvHH9 Altough they could let a third party doing that part.
Quote from: oscar on June 24, 2023, 09:16:34 PM
What little population in the Dawson City area lives on the west bank of the Yukon River, probably has to move east of the river in the winter (unlike the Northwest Territories, Yukon doesn't do ice bridges).
There
is a seasonal ice crossing at Dawson:
https://www.yukon-news.com/news/light-traffic-can-flow-over-yukon-river-using-dawson-city-ice-bridge/
Quote from: Kniwt on June 25, 2023, 10:26:05 AM
Quote from: oscar on June 24, 2023, 09:16:34 PM
What little population in the Dawson City area lives on the west bank of the Yukon River, probably has to move east of the river in the winter (unlike the Northwest Territories, Yukon doesn't do ice bridges).
There is a seasonal ice crossing at Dawson:
https://www.yukon-news.com/news/light-traffic-can-flow-over-yukon-river-using-dawson-city-ice-bridge/
Not only that, but the locals are known to hunker down with months of supplies for winter on the west bank.
I wonder what kind of bridge they'll choose (cable-stayed bridge, suspended bridge, etc...) for the Dawson City crossing?