Thank you, Madam Speaker. As you know, after more than 30 years of lobbying and planning the design, the Inuvik Tuktoyaktuk Highway opened up in 2017. Since the opening, the ITH has been a lifeline for the community of Tuktoyaktuk. It has reduced the basic needs such as food, clothing, and supplies. Importantly, we can get to Inuvik hospital quickly for medical services. It has also been to visit family, friends, and relatives and to use the facilities there.
I am proud to say the project was built on budget and on time by local contractors, Madam Speaker. It's the highest amount of Indigenous local employment participation in any major project undertaken by our Northwest Territories government. It was built due to care on our Arctic permafrost environment. However, at that time, with the tight budget, the GNWT had to reduce overall height of the road in several locations along the highway. During construction, engineers advised the government that this would require additional maintenance and upgrading in the future. It's time for upgrading, Madam Speaker.
Since it opened, the ITH only needed regular maintenance, such as grading, resurfacing, gravel, and snow plowing. After three years, there are some areas where the embankment is now sinking, and it needs to be lifted. A few sections of the road need levelling to adjacent to the permafrost, causing melting in many potholes and washboards during driving the surface. This situation is urgent, Madam Speaker. It will only become worse and increase the next few years, especially when the Inuvialuit project development of a gas project gets under way and starts utilizing that road 365 days a year with LNG trucks, tankers.
I don't see where the funds have been allocated in the capital plan to deal with this critical upgrading. Recently, the Hamlet of Tuktoyaktuk and the Tuktoyaktuk Community Corporation sent a joint letter to the Minister with these concerns. I am following up on their behalf, Madam Speaker. The work can be done with our local contractors and workforce. It's critical to bring forth projects that are shovel ready. We could help our residents and businesses survive during this pandemic. We need urgent action to protect our valuable asset, ensuring maintenance is done this coming year. Madam Speaker, I will have questions for the Minister at the appropriate time. Thank you.