Road 548 supports €16.7 million in annual production despite poor condition
Tuesday 13th October 2026 on 09:30 in
Finland
A poorly maintained road between Suonenjoki and Karttula supports agriculture and forestry production worth about €16.7 million a year, according to calculations by the Central Union of Agricultural Producers and Forest Owners in North Savo. Yle reported that the figures highlight the economic importance of rural roads that often receive less attention than busy main routes.
More than €13 million of the annual value linked to road 548 comes from strawberries and other berries, said Sirpa Lintunen, a regional official with the union. The calculations also account for other economic activity along the road, including farm supplies brought to local farms.
Parts of the road on the Suonenjoki side are rated poor or very poor on the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency’s condition map. The section in Karttula, which is part of Kuopio, was recently resurfaced.
Road conditions can increase costs and create safety risks for businesses, said berry grower Waltteri Soirio, whose farm has more than 30 hectares of fields and annual revenue of nearly €2 million. The farm uses trucks to transport berries and buses and minibuses to move workers. Soirio said poor roads could also affect businesses’ plans to invest.
The risks are also evident on Kaavinkoskentie, a winding and hilly road between Kaavi and Tuusniemi. Timber truck driver Jukka Taskinen pulled his loaded vehicle to the side to let a school bus pass. He said the steep descents make braking difficult because the trailer can start to skid.
A recent survey by Destia put the repair backlog on Finland’s state road network at €2.6 billion. Most of the backlog concerns regional and connecting roads, while the repair backlog for private roads has reached €1.3 billion. The article says road repair funding in the coming years will largely go to main routes. Tommi Huttunen, a department head at the East Finland Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment, offered no promise of a better outlook.