Finland Times

 

FTimes Photo.

Whether be it snowy winter or rainy summer, Rovaniemi’s road maintenance service makes sure that footpaths and carriageways are safe round the clock even in the worst of weather conditions. 

 

The Rovaniemi city council annually spends about EUR 4.3million of which EUR 1.2 million is spent in winter when the snowfall deposits turn into ice and make the roads slippery, and about EUR 1million goes for light maintenance.

 

On a typical snowy and frosty morning, gritting operations, for one of the best road maintenance service in Finland, begin at 11:30am and by 7:30pm nearly 840kilometers of major roads under the Rovaniemi council’s jurisdiction are treated. 

 

The road maintenance is done with the help of 46 snow ploughs, rotary blowers, trucks and tractors, graders and underbody blades, sand and salt spreaders vehicles. The council attaches the highest priority to clearing the main roads, public transport access routes, access to hospitals and well-trafficked hills.

 

Kinnunen Outi, a resident of Korkalovaarantie, told Finland Times: “We are really happy the way we are being served by road maintenance service, and they especially do an excellent job in winter.”

 

The main requirement for winter maintenance in the vital areas is keeping the roads free of loose snow and ensuring that friction is within standards.

 

FTimes Photo.

Talking to Finland Times, Hannu Kumpula, Head of Rovaniemi City Council Road Maintenance Service  said,  “We have a reputation for delivering highly efficient winter maintenance services,” adding, “ Our regular inspections are also carried out to ensure that the city roads and footways are safe.”

 

“The city council has enough resources to prioritize the treatment of all routes. Our aim is to reduce the impact that bad weather has on the users of the highways by minimizing loss of lives and injuries. We keep pedestrians safe and prevent damages to vehicles and other properties,” said Esko Heikkilä, spokesman of the service.

 

A number of dedicated winter maintenance units are currently working for Rovaniemi city council. The toughest time for cleaning is autumn (Kelirikko) when the snow starts melting and the city experiences fluctuations in temperature accompanied by rain and strong wind.

 

Talking to the Finland Times, Pekka Ounaslehto, who has been working for the last 30 years for road maintenance, said: “It is true that we must keep the city clean 24/7; but sometimes we feel terribly bad especially on national holidays, such as Christmas, when everyone stays at home and our work is to let the others walk and drive safely on roads. However, I feel proud when I get complimentary emails from the residents for my good job. It also inspires me a lot.”

 

Over the years, the Rovaniemi City Council has been doing a good job by maintaining high standards in road maintenance resulting in significant reduced road accidents and casualties.