Road collapse reported on Highway 23 in Haapamäki, Finland

A portion of the road collapsed in Haapamäki last night, impacting about ten meters of the driving lane on Highway 23 following resurfacing work. Fortunately, no other damage was reported. The collapse occurred approximately one kilometer from the center of Haapamäki, towards Virrat. As a result of the incident, only one lane is currently operational, and traffic is being regulated by a reduced speed limit and traffic lights.

Petri Teerimäki, project manager at the Central Finland ELY Center, stated that temporary filling of the collapse site is planned for today due to forecasts of heavy rainfall later in the week. “We are striving to prevent water from causing further damage to the embankment,” he explained.

The final repairs for the collapse site are expected to extend into next week. At this stage, the exact cause of the road failure cannot be confirmed. Teerimäki speculated that a combination of water, frost, and heavy traffic contributed to the collapse.

He pointed out that the Central Finland region has experienced a significant number of similar incidents over the past year. “Last winter, frost penetrated deeply, leading to frost damage. Although the summer has been relatively good, the rainfall has been intense and sudden. These factors can create unexpected challenges for road maintenance authorities,” Teerimäki added.