Road Administration (Maanteeamet) ordered an analysis on the need for financing for state road management, which said it is not possible to maintain roads at an acceptable level at the current level of investments.

Expenses made for state road network development and maintenance have been in the €210-235 million range over the last few years, of which maintenance makes up €31-39 million, preservation makes up €106-116 million and development totals €75-80 million.

The average expectancy of state road coverings is 20 years. The average lasting age of the main highway and ramp covering is around 10 years, it is over 20 years for supporting roads.

The current financing is not enough to conduct proactive works on state roads, which are mostly carried out once road conditions are critical.

Adverse circumstances, such as overweight cargo, weather conditions and construction faults have made the road network vulnerable and extensive damages can occur in a short period of time.

The analysis shows that while weight limits can be established for gravel roads, there is no such readiness for roads with higher traffic frequency.

If the goal is to maintain roads at an acceptable level, the backlog of development works totals €689 million. The backlog will reach €2.16 billion by 2030.

The analysis also points out that the average budget volume is €143 million over 30 years. At the current budget, it is not possible to do works at an acceptable level and it would be optimal instead to spend at least €192.5 million yearly.

There is a total of 16,600 km of state roads and 1,010 bridges and other constructions on those roads. Over 12,000 kilometers are covered with dust-free coating, 4,600 kilometers are uncovered.

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