Finnish museum road in critical disrepair — local group seeks minister’s help

Finland’s longest museum road, a 35-kilometre route between Hamina and Virolahti, is now considered dangerously degraded, according to local residents who say deep potholes and slippery patches make driving hazardous in wet weather.

The road, known as the Tallinmäki–Virojoki museum road, has not been renovated for years due to a lack of funding, despite repeated complaints from users. The Kaakkois-Suomen elinvoimakeskus, which oversees the road, confirms the poor condition but says it has not been prioritised for repair because of limited budgets.

“In the rain you can barely drive it anymore,” said Peter Mansner, a resident of Klamila in Virolahti and a board member of the newly formed Virolahti–Hamina Museum Road Association. “The potholes are invisible and the patchwork is as slippery as ice.”

The winding, hilly road, designated route 3513, follows a historic alignment dating back to the 1300s, when it formed part of the so-called Great Coastal Road linking Turku and Vyborg. Today it remains a popular route for cyclists and motorcyclists, though daily traffic is light—about 740 vehicles—compared with nearby main roads.

Full resurfacing would cost an estimated €3.5 million, the elinvoimakeskus says, but the project has not made the shortlist of prioritised repairs. The agency cites low traffic volumes and the existence of alternative routes, including a motorway, as factors in the decision.

The local association has launched an online petition calling for the road’s restoration. As of mid-July, more than 560 people had signed the appeal, which the group plans to hand to Finland’s Minister of Transport and Communications, Lulu Rante, this autumn.

“We’ll see what happens, but at least we’re trying,” Mansner said.