Ice highway

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An ice highway is a road or highway that is only accessible during the winter months. These highways are considered safe, and may support cars, trucks and tractor trailers.

In Canada, the Northwest Territories and the Yukon have several ice highways which are vital for importing goods; including oil, food, clothing, and automobiles. They also play an important role in supporting the local tourism industries.

The most notable ice highway in Canada is part of the Dempster Highway. It is a 194 kilometer stretch that starts in Inuvik and ends in Tuktoyaktuk, NWT.

Ice highways mainly run on frozen lakes, as they offer flat surfaces. Generally, an ice highway, despite the name, has a low speed limit, for the safety of everyone on the road, as it is still a very slippery surface.

The ice totals at average 28 inches thick and can support mass quantities of weight by bowing and displacing the energy across the water level below. After 4-6 weeks of transit loads, the ice starts to break and truck drivers are cautious of breakthroughs to the freezing water beneath.