Road construction causes up to 40 tire blowouts daily near Ylläsjärvi in Finland

Between Ylläsjärvi and Kittilä, a road construction site has reportedly caused up to 40 tire blowouts per day towards the end of July, according to local observations. In total, there have been several hundred incidents of tire damage. Jaakko Luiro, the project manager from the Lapland ELY Center overseeing the construction, noted that they have not received a significant number of reports or compensation claims regarding tire damage. “It will take some time before those come to me for review requests,” he said, adding that only a couple of claims have been received, along with a few calls and emails asking about how to proceed.

The contractor also indicated that the situation has calmed down. “During my visit to the site, the contractor mentioned that the situation has significantly stabilized compared to what it was at the beginning. Of course, there have been some angry drivers, along with calls and inquiries about how to submit compensation claims,” Luiro stated.

The road construction spans 16.5 kilometers, and Luiro reported that about 12 kilometers of new pavement has been completed, extending from Kittilä to the emergency landing site for aircraft. Approximately nine more kilometers with a gravel surface remain to be finished, along with a few additional kilometers of the landing site.

Luiro mentioned that the contractor, Asfalttikallio, expects the paving work to be complete by the following Tuesday, provided everything goes according to plan. He anticipates that overall completion should occur within two to three weeks once the edge gravel work and road markings are finished.

In Utsjoki, Finland’s longest paving project for this year is ongoing. This project entails 71 kilometers of new pavement, with only one report of a car getting stuck in tar, but no significant issues have been reported otherwise. According to Luiro, progress has been good, with over 40 kilometers of new pavement already laid, and completion of this work is also anticipated in a couple of weeks, conditions permitting.