Mackenzie Valley Highway: status, trades and camps

That decision depends on the environmental assessment, permits and funding. Construction, funding, the final route and permits still need approval, even if the assessment expands.

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Work that could start sooner

Some bridge and road jobs along the route can go ahead while the highway’s assessment continues. Federal funding for the last two was announced on September 8, 2026.

• Oscar Creek Bridge: contractors were being chosen in summer 2026, and construction is expected in the 2026-27 winter.

• Christina Creek realignment: permits and licences are under way. The process to choose construction contractors is expected in fall 2026. Construction is expected in 2027.

• Great Bear River Bridge near Tulita.

• A 6 km second phase of the Prohibition Creek Access Road.

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For job postings, watch the companies that win these bridge and road contracts.

Sources3

Camps

For the Wrigley to Norman Wells section, the 2023 assessment report says camps for 40 to 70 workers will be needed. They may be in Norman Wells, Tulita or Wrigley, or at gravel pits or quarries.

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Trades and workers

The related Prohibition Creek Access Road employed 95 people at its peak, including 61 Sahtu residents. That was road work already done, not a forecast for the highway. The territorial government is studying the labour market and planning training and employment for the corridor.

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Trades typical for a northern all-season road

• Heavy Equipment Operator (Excavator)

• Heavy Equipment Operator (Dozer)

• Heavy Duty Equipment Technician

• Construction Craft Worker

• Carpenter

• Ironworker (Reinforcing)

• Concrete Finisher

• Ironworker (Structural/Ornamental)

• Welder

• Mobile Crane Operator

These trades are typical for this kind of road, not jobs posted for the highway.

How the highway would be built

The 2023 assessment report expects construction from Wrigley toward Norman Wells in three segments, one after another. The report estimates these construction times:

• First segment: three years.

• Second segment: four years.

• Third segment: three years.

Each segment would also need about two years of preparation. When work starts and how long it takes depend on:

• Funding.

• Capacity to do the work.

• Approval from regulators and the conditions of those approvals.

The Review Board is now updating what the assessment covers, because the territorial government asked to extend the route to Inuvik. The government estimates it will file its revised assessment report in March 2027. Public review and hearings come after that, with no dates set yet.

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Who is developing it

• The Government of the Northwest Territories, through its Department of Infrastructure, is developing the highway.[1][8][9]

What has happened

• March 12, 2026:

  the federal government referred the highway to the Major Projects Office.[1][3]

• June 24, 2026:

  Canada started considering whether to list the highway as a project of national interest under the Building Canada Act. The territorial government and the Major Projects Office reported this.[3][1]

• August 14, 2026:

  the territorial government asked to extend the assessment to the route from Norman Wells to the Dempster Highway near Inuvik.[8][7][4]

Indigenous agreements

• Sahtu Secretariat Incorporated, the Gwich’in Tribal Council and Pehdzéh Kı̨ First Nation agreed to work together on the proposed highway. The three signed a memorandum of understanding on June 5, 2026.[1]

• The territorial government has also signed a memorandum of understanding with Sahtú Secretariat Incorporated.[2]

Related pages

• Major projects in Canada for trades workers
• Canada Investment Summit 2026: a guide for trades
• How to get hired on a major project in Canada
• How Werko checks facts
• Heavy equipment operator resume
• Carpenter resume