1 CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS AND ADAPTATION: CASE STUDIES OF ROADS IN NORTHERN CANADA

• Main Authors: Robyn V. Mcgregor, M. Sc, P. Eng, Senior Transportation Engineer, Principal Consultant
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Subjects: Canada; Yellowknife; Ice; permafrost
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.513.4025; http://conf.tac-atc.ca/english/resourcecentre/readingroom/conference/conf2008/docs/a1/mcgregor.pdf

Access to communities and resource developments in northern Canada often relies on a single all-weather or winter road. Warming trends in recent years can put these indispensable access routes at risk by impacting road structures that overlie permafrost, and by shortening the duration of winter roads built on ice or seasonally frozen ground. This paper presents two case studies of all-weather and winter roads in northern Canada to describe the issues pertaining to the impacts of climate change and the adaptation strategies that have been or are being implemented to cope with the impacts. 1. The Yellowknife Highway (NWT Highway 3) reconstruction. The design addressed those features of embankment performance over the long term that represent the greatest risk of uncontrolled maintenance and safety. The following features were adopted to mitigate climate change effects and retard the rate of thaw: a. The core of the embankment comprises a minimum of 2 metres of quarried rockfill, providing internal strength to even out future settlements; b. A sacrificial shoulder and flat sideslopes were provided on the embankment as it