KRG studies cheaper road paving product

KUUJJUAQ — Now that Quebec has promised Nunavik millions to pave its roads, community leaders want to get their money’s worth.

The huge economic deal Nunavik and Quebec reached in April includes $35 million over seven years for road paving in Nunavik.

But this amount won’t cover the entire cost of paving Nunavik’s 150 kilometres of roads.

“We only have enough money to pave 90 kilometres with asphalt,” said Jean Robitaille, the Kativik Regional Government’s director of public works, at last week’s meeting of KRG councillors.

The KRG had been planning to buy two second-hand asphalt plants and machinery to spread the tarry, black pavement.

But councillors are now also considering a cheaper technique called “road surface treatment.”

Asphalt is thick and smooth, but it’s hard to apply, expensive and doesn’t do well on permafrost. Road surface treatment results in a surface that’s thinner and bumpier. But this type of pavement needs less equipment to lay and resists permafrost much better.

It’s the paving method used on 5,000 kilometres of the Trans-Alaska Highway.

“I would prefer to have asphalt,” said Kangiqsujuaq Mayor Charlie Alaku. “So we could go rollerblading.”

But road surface treatment might work better than asphalt in communities with permafrost, such as Salluit. Thick black pavement would absorb sunlight and warm up the ground underneath.

“What’s going to happen to the permafrost? It’s going to melt for sure,” Robitaille said.

The KRG wants to pave roads in two communities every summer, at the same time as another project coordinated by Makivik Corporation puts in docks and wharves. This way, the two projects can share rock-crushing equipment.

This summer, roads in Ivujivik and Kuujjuaq are slated for paving.

After listing the pros and cons of paving, KRG councillors agreed to buy one second-hand asphalt plant for $800,000 and ship it to Ivujivik.

They also want to take a look at roads in southern Quebec that are covered with the road surface treatment.

Then they’ll decide if it’s worth buying the equipment to test this technology in Kuujjuaq this summer.