Local effort wins new surface for neglected Rauma road

A six-kilometre stretch of Ruonantie road in Rauma’s Lappi district has been resurfaced after years of local campaigning, Yle reports. Residents, holiday-home owners and sauna business operators have thanked Labour Minister Matias Marttinen for helping bring attention to the road.

The road received a smooth new surface last spring, despite belonging to the lowest category of roads, which are repaired only when funding remains available. The work cost about 700,000 euros excluding value-added tax.

Before the renovation, Ruonantie was in very poor condition, with potholes and sharp edges from its old asphalt surface. Residents had submitted petitions for repairs years earlier.

“One of the biggest surprises of my life was how quickly this effort got the road onto the list of roads to be resurfaced,” said Jorma Leino, who runs the Puusaa­n sauna business on Ruonantie with his daughter, Rosanna Vuorinen.

The road has long been a regular topic of conversation at the business. A busy summer dance pavilion, Salamakallio, is located along the road, and the area also has many holiday-home owners. About 60 people live in the village, while the regional development centre estimates that 400 vehicles use Ruonantie each day.

Rauma municipal politician Timo Hakala of the National Coalition Party raised the road’s condition with Leino. Hakala then discussed the matter with Marttinen, who is also from Rauma and belongs to the same party.

Hakala said Marttinen asked for figures to support the case for repairing the road. Hakala compiled an estimate of the number of road users, and the road was walked from end to end to prepare a cost estimate. The projected cost was 547,000 euros excluding value-added tax.

“I took this information to the minister, and he said he had brought the matter to the attention of the Ministry of Transport and discussed it. He also said he could not know whether it had an effect. I think it did,” Hakala said.

Yle was unable to reach Marttinen for comment.

Katja Levola, head of the maintenance unit in the transport department of the regional development centre for south-western Finland, said there is no direction attached to road maintenance funding. The occasional specially allocated funds are the only exception, and they usually specify which road sections are to receive repairs.

“We are happy to receive every euro. There is plenty to repair,” Levola said.

Nearly 30,000 kilometres lack sufficient funding

Road conditions in Finland are deteriorating because there is not enough money for maintenance. According to figures from last spring, nearly 30,000 kilometres of roads in Finland effectively lack sufficient funding for repairs.

Finnish roads are divided into three repair categories based on traffic volumes and location. Roads are repaired in that order when funding is available.

The busiest roads, including main roads and highways, belong to category PK1. PK2 roads are next in line. Funding for PK3 roads is mainly available for patching or converting a paved road into a gravel road.

“If a road carries 800 vehicles a day or fewer, it falls into the third category,” Levola said.

South-western Finland now has about 1,000 kilometres of roads in poor condition. When funding is available for lower-category roads, damage is one factor in deciding which roads to repair. Traffic volumes and the needs of businesses also influence the decision.

“We have a good understanding of the condition of our roads. I can say that the more we know, the more concerning it is. There is a lot to repair,” Levola said.

This year, about 18.6 kilometres of old paved roads in south-western Finland will be converted into gravel roads. Such a decision requires the road to have low traffic volumes, while the cost of possible repairs and maintenance is also considered.