Thank you, Mr. Nadli. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'll defer that to Mr. Neudorf.

Thank you, Minister. Mr. Neudorf.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. No further questions.

Thank you, Mr. Nadli. Next on my list, Mr. Blake.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just a couple questions on winter roads. You know a couple years back some of you may recall there were plans to open up the road from Inuvik to Norman Wells going up the highway there, so people could have a chance to travel, you know, down the valley here. It kind of fell off the books there a couple years back but you know it's a great idea. You know how many times in this House I said the amount of money that’s being spent in the Yukon, you know, it's a shame that we don’t open this stretch of road up. You know, you'll see a lot more spending whether it's trucks from Hay River or boats, whatnot, you know. You'd see a lot more money being spent here in the NWT I feel. Thanks.

Thank you, Mr. Blake. Minister, would you like to comment?

Thank you, Mr. Chair. That would be an interesting to be able to do that, but in light of the fiscal situation we're in and to justify spending that kind of money and the challenges we have right now would probably be tough to accomplish. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Minister. Mr. Blake.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. It shouldn't cost that much extra. People are already using that stretch out on the fibre optic line. It is a shame the department is not really looking into that. It could do so much for this territory.

Also, on another note, we are on highways here, so I note, I think, it was in 2008, it was supposed to come out on contract to change the culverts, I think it is Kilometre 145 just near Tsiigehtchic there as you climb the hill. It never did come out to tender or negotiate. I know that stretch of highway is up next for the widening, so what are the plans for the department? Those culverts do need to be worked on. What is the overall plan? Thanks.

Thank you, Mr. Blake. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The first part is the road that takes time to open, the winter road, that would be roughly a ten to $20 million one-time hit to open up that section of the winter road from Norman Wells to Tsiigehtchic. It would probably add approximately $2 million to the O and M winter road budget. So that is the fiscal reality of it. We would love to do it, but we would have to find that money somewhere. As for the culvert question, I will default that to deputy minister Neudorf. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister. Mr. Neudorf.

Thank you, Mr. Neudorf. Mr. Blake.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just getting back to what the Minister just said, I didn't say to open it up from Norman Wells to Tsiigehtchic. There is already the fibre optic line going to Inuvik, to Campbell Lake. That is the actual route, the Mackenzie Highway I believe. In the future, hopefully, it is no use trying to open up another section over land. May as well use the same route. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Blake. Would the Minister like to respond?

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The fibre optic line. I had the opportunity to go out there, and it is not a very wide right-of-way that they produced. We would, at the appropriate time, if the funding came available, we would obviously want to have a look at accessing that portion of the right-of-way as much as we could. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Minister. Seeing nothing further, are there any further questions on page 417? Mr. Thompson.

Mr. Chair, thank you. I am glad -- I almost missed this. In regards to the Deh Cho bridge and the maintenance, does the Minister know what the (because I don't see it in here) what the cost is to actually provide the maintenance on this bridge? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Thompson. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I will default that to Mr. Neudorf.