Saatse Boot bypass gives locals freedom of movement but isolation remains
While Lutepää residents now have a temporary bypass for avoiding the Saatse Boots that run through Russian territory, the village is still isolated.
The temporary bypass around the Small Saatse Boot (or the Lutepää Triangle) runs along a border guard patrol road. While the road now lies entirely on the Estonian side, prohibitive signs, such as those banning walking, stopping vehicles or lingering, still remain in effect. Because the stretch is very narrow, the previous restrictions have been kept in place for safety reasons.
While construction was underway, locals continued using the old road, which meant driving a short distance through Russian territory, as there is no other way in or out of Lutepää.
"For a moment, it felt like there was no way out of Lutepää at all — we'd have to call a helicopter just to get anywhere. My son even went to check the forest paths to see if we could drive out somehow," said Leida Saunamets, a Lutepää resident.
Like most residents of Lutepää, Leida only lives in the village during the warmer months. In winter, with snow, she wouldn't be able to manage on her own. The situation surrounding the closure of the Saatse Boots has unsettled her and now she worries that the village, once a place people passed through, will become completely cut off.
"And that's really sad. When I was little, my sister and a friend used to stop by when they were driving through — they always brought me things I needed. But now, no one will come. They can't. They'd have to make a special trip from Verhulitsa to Lutepää and then turn back," Saunamets said.
Lutepää's only year-round resident is Triinu Limbak, who moved there with her young daughter about a year ago. She was on vacation when the Boots were closed, so she says the whole situation didn't affect her much. Her sense of security hasn't changed either.
"The only downside is that no one passes through anymore. It feels like you're really isolated. That isolation is scarier than everything else combined," Limbak said.
The next village past Lutepää is Sesniki. Previously, you could reach it through the (Big) Saatse Boot, but now drivers must take a detour. Mikk Mäeste is currently renovating a house in Sesniki, with plans to move his whole family there.
"It used to be a six-kilometer drive, now it's more like 12 or 13. That's just how it is. We're not going to stop building because of it," Mäeste said.
Locals are hoping the new bypass roads will eventually be paved. The Transport Administration expects to announce the construction tender for the Small Boot's bypass at the end of November. The Big Boot's bypass is expected to be completed by October next year.
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Editor: Marcus Turovski, Marko Tooming
