Road administration opens Haapsalu-Noarootsi ice road
At 9 a.m. on Friday morning, the Estonian Road Administration opened a 3.9-kilometer ice road connecting Haapsalu and Noarootsi in Western Estonia.
The ice road, which is open to vehicles with an actual weight of up to 2.5 tons, begins in Haapsalu at the intersection of Suur-Mere and Supeluse Streets and terminates in Noarootsi by the pier in Österby harbor, at the end of Nõmmküla-Aulepa-Österby Highway.
The ice road, which was opened and will be maintained by the Port of Paralepa, is open from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. The road is subject to emergency closures according to weather conditions.
The Estonian Road Administration asks drivers to strictly adhere to all signage on the route as well as al ice road traffic rules.
Ice road traffic rules
• The ice road is only open to traffic in daylight; the road will be closed when visibility drops below 300 meters
• Recommended driving speeds are up to 25 kilometers per hour or between 40-70 kilometers (driving at speeds betwen 25-40 kilometers per hour could cause the vehicle to create a resonance wave which may cause the ice to break up)
• Drivers may only enter the ice road from marked entrances with a minimum of two minutes between each driver
• Drivers must maintain a distance of at least 250 meters behind the vehicle ahead of them
• Passing and simultaneous two-way traffic on the ice road are forbidden
• Drivers may not drive outside of the marked ice road
• Passengers must keep their seatbelts unbuckled and ensure the vehicle's doors can open easily while on the ice road
• Rough spots should be driven over as slowly as possible
• Drivers may not stop, speed, or drive through storms, fog or in the dark on the ice road
Editor: Aili Vahtla