Fuerte Metals Awards Contract for The Coffee Gold Project's Northern Access Route Construction
Fuerte Locks in Critical Infrastructure Contract as Coffee Gold Project Shifts from Paper to Pavement
The most recent news (March 4, 2026) announces that Fuerte Metals has awarded the construction contract for the Northern Access Route (NAR) to Cobalt Construction Inc. The NAR is a 214 km all-season gravel road connecting the flagship Coffee Gold Project to Dawson City and the Yukon highway network. The project involves upgrading 180 km of existing road and constructing 34 km of new road. This initiative is expected to involve C$77M in spending on supplies and services over a two-year period. This follows the February 22, 2026, Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) which outlined a US$2.3B NPV and a 47.8% IRR for the project.
The news is Routine - Positive. While the C$77M contract is a significant commitment, it is a logical and expected follow-up to the "Early Works" program outlined in the PEA released just two weeks prior. - Operational Readiness: Awarding the NAR contract is the "first critical contract" for mine development. Without this road, the heap-leach facility cannot be constructed or serviced. - Social License: The involvement of the Tr'ondëk Hwëch'in First Nation and a Yukon-based contractor (Cobalt) reinforces the company's social license to operate, which is critical in the Yukon. - Financial Commitment: The C$77M estimated spend is substantial relative to the company's current market cap, though this is likely project-level capital expenditure that will be drawn over two years. - De-risking: By starting the road now, Fuerte is attempting to truncate the timeline between the 2027 construction decision and first gold pour.
Fuerte Metals transitioned from a Mexican/Chilean explorer to a Canadian developer via the acquisition of the Coffee Gold Project from Newmont in October 2025. - Flagship: Coffee Gold Project (Yukon). A high-grade, open-pit heap-leach project. - Resources: 3.0 Moz Au (Measured & Indicated) at 1.15 g/t. - Economics: PEA (Feb 2026) shows 217,000 oz/year production over 13 years with an AISC of US$1,274/oz. - Secondary Assets: Cristina Project (Mexico) with ~1.5 Moz AuEq resource and Placeton (Chile) copper targets.