A 400-meter bypass around the boot's "heel" along with a longer 4.7-kilometer bypass around its "sole," which skirted the border, have been opened, with the work costing €2.5 million plus VAT over six months.

The Transport Board also laid 2 km of dust-free surfacing on the nearby Matsuri–Sesniki road and built bus turning points at the villages of Lutepää and Sesniki.

"As of today Estonian law applies at every point on this road, and the PPA can assist Estonian people anywhere along it," said Meelis Saarepuu, head of the Police and Border Guard Board's (PPA) southern prefecture border bureau.

One local resident, Meelike Kruusmäe-Veinberg, who lives on a nearby farm, said the difference was practical. "In winter the Poogandi road was in very poor condition; every day someone went into the ditch." Now, she said, the road is wide and gentle, with the edges visible from everywhere.

Local government elder Raul Kudre said the new road makes travel easier for many in Setomaa, a historic cultural region.Around 300 or more people would regularly XXX use the route in summer, and it provides access to local features such as a 50-place care home whose relatives visit constantly, and a museum.

Janar Taal, the Transport Board's southern region head, noted the road runs through a nature protection area and the terrain surprised even the builders. "The water table is very high in places here and had to be battled with," he said.

Infrastructure Minister Kuldar Leis (Reform) said via a press release Seto people should now be able to travel by road without going through Russia — and that the closure of the boot last autumn had meant longer journeys for ambulances, rescue services and police.

The Saatse boot consisted of anomalous stretches of road that passed through Russian territory, meaning drivers on the Värska–Ulitina road had to cross into Russia to stay in Estonia. Guidelines were in place on minimum speeds and how to act while driving through the "sole," as well as on what to do if the vehicle broke down at some point while on the Russian side.

Its removal followed an incident in October 2025 in which armed Russian uniformed personnel were seen on the boot's road. The stretch of road was blocked to traffic soon after.

The original "Aktuaalne kaamera" segment is below.

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