ECONOMY, ENVIRONMENT AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Commitment 1.2.7

We will expand tourism options and provide high quality public facilities by:

• Improving road side facilities along remote highways

Improving road side facilities along remote highways

The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) recognizes the need to ensure residents, visitors, and professional truck drivers can travel safely on our highways, and that accessible facilities can assist with this. The GNWT is working to improve roadside facilities along remote highways.

The Department of Industry, Tourism, and Investment (ITI) maintains 14 wayside parks around scenic points of interest for the enjoyment and convenience of visitors.

The Department of Infrastructure (INF) maintains a number of rest stops that allow drivers to pull off the road safely to stop and rest, conduct road side repairs, change drivers, or conduct other activities.

INF will be completing an Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Study and Long Range Plan in the near future that will identify incident response technologies that could be put in place to improve road safety.

INF’s long-term plan is to have a minimum of one major rest area every 150 kilometres along the highway network and a pullout every 50 kilometers.

Related Mandate Commitments:

• Commitment 1.1.13 - We will support small communities by enhancing job-creation programs, building community capacity and supporting new economic opportunities, by:
  • Implementing the Economic Opportunities Strategy.
• Commitment 1.2.8 - We will increase exports by working with the tourism, diamonds, and traditional economy sectors to promote NWT products to international markets.
• Commitment 1.2.9 - We will attract direct foreign investment, and cross-promote minerals, furs, fish, forest products, and tourism to investors and markets.