JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – The $360-million in combined federal and territorial funding for the improvement of road access in two mineral-rich areas in central and south-eastern Yukon has been widely welcomed.

Days after Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Yukon Premier Sandy Silver announced the road access improvement project in the Dawson Range, in central Yukon, and Nahanni Range road, in south-eastern Yukon, the Mining Association of Canada (MAC) and Triumph Gold Corp applauded the territory’s significant investment in critical infrastructure, which is likely to bolster the region’s ability to seize growth opportunities in the mining industry.

The Yukon Resource Gateway Project will help upgrade over 650 km of road and build or replace numerous bridges, culverts and stream crossings in one of the least accessible territories in Canada, where exploration is estimated to cost six times more than any other territory and more than double to build a mine in remote and northern Canada, compared with the country’s southern regions, owing to infrastructure deficits.

This deficit across the territories and northern areas of the province has been inhibiting sustainable mining development, despite the significant mineral potential that exists in the Yukon territory.

The MAC noted that it had two members operating projects in the region, Goldcorp's Coffee project and Western Copper and Gold's Casino project, both of which were expected to contribute billions of dollars in new investment in the territory, creating thousands of direct and indirect jobs.

“This collaboration between both levels of government is exactly the strategic action needed to capitalise on the significant mineral potential in the Yukon and across Canada's North,” said MAC president and CEO Pierre Gratton.

“This funding is a significant commitment from both the territorial and federal governments and reaffirms our belief that Yukon is one of the best jurisdictions in Canada for mining exploration,” added Triumph president and CEO Paul Reynolds.

In the Dawson Range, four separate public road systems will be upgraded, as well as the first 82 km of the existing Freegold road, which provides access to Triumph's Freegold Mountain project.