An incident occurred at Pontoon Lake, located approximately 30 kilometers northwest of Yellowknife, where an excavator slid into the water while working to widen the embankment. The government of the Northwest Territories Department of Infrastructure reported that the excavator became partially submerged due to a portion of the construction embankment fill slumping. Fortunately, there were no injuries associated with this event.
However, according to a report on the Department of Environment and Climate Change’s spill database, approximately 450 liters of fuel were spilled during this incident. This marks the second accident at the construction site within the same week. The contractor, RTL Robinson Enterprises Ltd., had previously dealt with an overturned dump truck incident on Tuesday, which also resulted from embankment slumping but without any spills or injuries.
The current focus of the contractor is on widening the embankment and installing guardrails along the Ingraham Trail near kilometer 26. In response to the excavator incident, both the Department of Infrastructure and the Department of Environment and Climate Change issued a joint statement mentioning that the contractor has notified the regulators and implemented spill containment measures as a precautionary step until the excavator is safely retrieved.
Residents in the area may experience delays as the necessary work is carried out. RTL Robinson Enterprises Ltd. has not provided an immediate response to requests for comments on the matter.