DAWSON CITY – Equipment from Cobalt Construction is on site at the Dawson ferry landing and ready to begin working on the building of this year’s official ice bridge across the Yukon River. They are working for Yukon Government.

The ferry was pulled from service for the season on Oct. 18.

As well, the ice in the river only stopped moving on Nov. 30, so it’s been an extra-long wait for West Dawson and Sunnydale residents this year.

The average wait time is about a month, and that is what many people stock up for.

Re-supply trips by helicopter were expensive this year, at $660 per round trip. Even with several people sharing the cost, it was prohibitive.

A Department of Highways and Public Works post on Facebook advises: “Our goal is to have the ice bridge open to light traffic by Christmas; however, this is dependent on environmental conditions.”

Local temperatures have been as low as -36 C and as high as -8 in the same week. Last Sunday, it hit -36, but the past Monday afternoon was forecast to be -14.

“As an important safety reminder,” the post concludes,”the public should not cross the river until a sanctioned ice bridge is in place.”

Of course, Yukon government officials are well aware that people began crossing the river within two days of the ice ceasing to move, and that pedestrians, snow machines and ATVs have already carved out the usual, unofficial, do it-yourself route about 100 metres south of where Cobalt and some local sub-contractors will soon be working.

Canadian Ranger John “Mitch” Mitchell has offered advice to those he knows will continue to do this.

“Quick safety update: we have cross-river traffic at this time. We already have had one person go through the ice and self-rescue. The safest trail right now is ferry landing to ferry landing AND STAY ON THE TRAIL!!!!!”

The river has frozen with a lot of jumble ice, and until the cold snap this week, there were still small pools of open water. Mitchell advises staying away from these even though they might look like easier to cross.

The jumble ice is “generally safe but hard to walk through,” he posted.

“Stay off the smooth ice unless you test it. Usually three hard swings with an ace that don’t go through is safe to cross BUT smooth ice is not consistent: it freezes from the edges in to the middle. So, especially on larger stretches of smooth ice watch the middle.

“And: Skidoos, even though they are heavier, because of their larger footprint, and their speed, can cross thinner ice than people on foot.”

Mitchell also advises that routes cannot always be counted on to remain stable.

“A trail on the river is never static. It changes by the minute, by hour and by the day and especially seasonally, so you cannot put your mind in neutral and go ‘cruise control’ just because you have travelled it before,” he said.

“I’ve had 12 Skidoos cross a section of trail and had four Skidoos fall through an hour later.

“I’ve had six Skidoos cross a glacier and had a dog musher go through up to her chest a few hours later.”

Fire chief Mike Massery has been equally firm about warning people to be careful.

In the case cited by Mitchell, Massery added that the man in question had ventured on what looked to be firm, smooth ice only to find that it was a patch only perhaps 2 1/2 inches thick, and found himself falling through to what was, fortunately, another ice layer knee-deep below that.

He got out without getting wet.

According to Jim Regimbal, the northern area superintendent for Highways and Public Works, the goal is to have a route thick enough (72 cm) to hold vechicle weight of 5,000 kg a week before Christmas.

Later on, a second lane will be able to carry up to 40,000 kg, the same as last year.