Road collapse reported on State Road 23 in Haapamäki, Finland

Part of the Virtaintie road collapsed in Haapamäki last night. Approximately ten meters of one lane on State Road 23 gave way after resurfacing work. Fortunately, no other damage occurred during the collapse. The site is located about one kilometer from the center of Haapamäki towards Virrat. Currently, only one lane is in use, with reduced speed limits and traffic lights managing the flow of vehicles.

Project manager Petri Teerimäki from the Central Finland ELY Centre stated that temporary repairs will be made today at the site of the collapse. “Heavy rainfall is expected later this week, and we aim to prevent water from causing further damage to the embankment,” he explained.

The final repairs to the damaged area are expected to extend into next week. At this stage, the exact cause of the road failure cannot be determined. Teerimäki speculated that a combination of water, frost, and heavy traffic contributed to the embankment’s collapse. He noted that there has been an unusual number of similar incidents in Central Finland over the past year.

“Last winter, frost reached deep, leading to frost damage. Although the summer has been relatively good, intense rainfalls have occurred, causing significant water accumulation at once. These factors are contributing to unexpected challenges for road authorities,” Teerimäki commented.