road link to Manitoba was once planned. This road would cost an estimated $1.2 billion to build and another $3 million a year to maintain. This road is expected to run from Sundance, Manitoba to Rankin Inlet, Nunavut. However, a study showed that the cost of building the road would likely far outweigh any potential economic benefits. A proposal was also in place for a highway to Rankin Inlet, Nunavut from Gillam, Manitoba with a connection to Churchill, Manitoba, a route that was chosen over two other alternatives from Thompson and Lynn Lake. A road was briefly considered in 2004 for construction between Iqaluit and Kimmirut (formerly known as Lake Harbour), but it would be four times longer than the direct air-distance between the communities, and the idea was dropped. In 2016, the federal government approved $64 million in funding to build a deepsea port in Iqaluit, expected to be completed in 2020. It would be used to cut costs for goods that would otherwise have to be flown in, and was also envisioned to allow a vehicle ferry service to Happy Valley-Goose Bay in Newfoundland and Labrador. In 2019, it was announced that the port would not include the facilities necessary for the ferry service, as they would have been too expensive. Important roads and highways in Nunavut Tibbitt to Contwoyto Winter Road This private winter road was once a way for trucks to drive to Nunavut from Yellowknife. The private winter road services a number of mines and worker lodgings in the region. The entire road is 605 km (376 mi) and is the world's longest heavy haul ice road. It is open between February and March each year. Since the closure of Lupin Gold Mine and Jericho Diamond Mine, only the first 400 kilometres (250 miles) of the Tibbitt to Contwoyto Winter Road have been constructed each winter. The road does not cross into Nunavut any longer. The public may drive on the first few kilometers of the winter road, but must turn around at a security checkpoint. The road ends at the Ekati Diamond Mine in the Northwest Territories. Arctic Bay to Nanisivik Highway This 21 km (13 mi) stretch of Highway connects the town of Arctic Bay to the former mining town of Nanisivik. The road also gained world fame for a number of years when it was used for the Midnight Sun Marathon run