An excavator that plunged into Pontoon Lake near Yellowknife has been successfully extracted after being submerged for a week. The excavator was being utilized by contractors working on a road-widening project on Highway 4, also known as the Ingraham Trail, until it toppled into the lake on August 14. CBC News witnessed the excavator being lifted out of the water on Friday afternoon, a process later confirmed by the territorial government via email.
According to a spokesperson from the Department of Infrastructure, the contractor followed the established plan to create a safe workspace and retrieved the excavator from the water onto secure ground on the same morning. This incident marked the second instance of construction equipment getting submerged in the lake, with a dump truck meeting a similar fate on August 11. The Department of Infrastructure attributed the submersion of both vehicles to embankment slumping.
Concerns have been raised by residents regarding water quality following the incidents. However, the N.W.T. Department of Infrastructure has stated that no spills were reported in either case. The department informed regulators and implemented spill containment measures as a precaution until the excavator removal was completed.
In an email update on Friday, the department mentioned that water testing results came back clear. Water samples were collected, tested in a lab, and deemed to meet the applicable water quality standards, as indicated in the email communication.