An Indigenous-owned business partnership has been awarded a major federal contract to rehabilitate a section of the Alaska Highway.
The federal government says it has approved a $14.6‑billion design‑build contract for a partnership between Top Notch and Enviro‑Ex.
According to the announcement, the project will involve relocating approximately 2.3 kilometres of the Alaska Highway away from an area along the Liard River shoreline that is expected to erode over the next 100 years.
The contract was awarded through a competitive process that was limited to Indigenous businesses led by members of the eight First Nations whose traditional territories are located along portions of the highway.
Federal officials say the project is intended to address long-term risks to the highway caused by shoreline erosion while supporting Indigenous participation in major infrastructure projects.