Cold weather hampers West Dawson ice road crews

The Yukon community of West Dawson is waiting and watching as crews work to complete the ice road that connects their homes to the rest of Dawson City during the winter.

Crews from the Yukon Department of Highways and Public Worksare flooding the ice bridge across the Yukon River that replaces the summer ferry service to West Dawson and the Top of the World Highway.

A department spokesperson says the -40 temperatures are good for ice-making operations but hard on the crews. They need a minimum thickness of three quarters of a metre of ice before the road can be opened to traffic.

The Department of Highways and Public Works hopes to open the ice road by Sunday.