In cold climates such as central and northern Yukon, construction at a site must account for permafrost characteristics and implement design adaptations to ensure the resilience of the infrastructure, or risk costly repairs and interruption to services. The proposed fibre optic link from Inuvik to Dawson City will cross a vast area of permafrost. The challenges associated with construction of this line will be compounded because the cable is buried and because the infrastructure crosses hundreds of kilometres of terrain where there is little known about the nature of the permafrost. Existing highway infrastructure in the region is already affected by permafrost degradation.
