This situational picture provides information about the current state and societal importance of Finland’s private roads. The situational picture of private roads is primarily updated once a year. The situational picture also provides information about future needs and forecasts. The information is produced by the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency Traficom. The information is part of the strategic situational picture of the Finnish transport network.
PRIVATE ROADS IN FIGURES
- There are approximately 370,000 km of private roads, whereas there are 80,000 km of state-owned roads.
- There are roughly 12,000 bridges on private roads.
- An estimated 30,000 companies, 40,000 farms, 250,000 detached houses and 190,000 summer cottages are located along private roads.
- Approximately two million people use private roads.
- Approximately 500,000 Finns live along private roads.
- Around 4,000 trucks carrying timber depart from sites along private roads every day.
Private road management
Members of road maintenance associations are in charge of the construction and maintenance of private roads. A road maintenance association consisting of association members can be established to manage administration and maintenance. The association can be established in a private road survey or by the association members themselves in an association meeting. The road in question must have a right of way in order for the road maintenance association to be established. Road maintenance and administration issues must be processed in regular road maintenance association meetings, the decisions of which bind the members of the association.
Private roads are an important part of the Finnish road network and transport system
The private road network serves key functions in society, such as emergency supply, fire and rescue services, national defence, social services and health care as well as the post office. The forestry and food industries in particular require a functional transport chain for goods to travel along private roads and the road network with low traffic volume to the arterial road network, railway network and ports. It is important to ensure the functionality and unbrokenness of these chains. Approximately 67 million m3 per year, or 90%, of forestry timber is transported along private roads.
Social grants for private roads
Because municipalities are self-governing entities, they are free to decide the amount and implementation method of grants. Municipalities are in charge of allocating grants from their funds to private road maintenance, the terms of the grants and the monitoring of the use along with any decisions to assume responsibility for road construction or entire or partial maintenance of the road (yksityistielaki 84 § (section 84 of the private road act)). Recently, municipalities have saved on private road grants, terminated maintenance contracts, tightened grant terms and increased the financial risk of the road maintenance associations.
Discretionary government transfers for private road maintenance are primarily awarded for private road improvements that are classified as construction work. The maximum amount of discretionary government transfers in conventional road improvement work is 50% of the costs of the project, value-added tax included. The maximum share of discretionary government transfers in significant bridge sites is 75%. The sum of discretionary government transfers was approximately 30 million euros in 2021, and it will be another 30 million euros in 2022. The applications for discretionary government transfers for private roads are not tied to any deadlines; grants are paid out as the projects progress.
The condition of private roads in 2020–2032
The private road network is not separate from other transport networks, which is why it must be developed as part of the Finnish transport system. The annual costs of maintaining private roads are nearly 200 million euros, which cannot be covered by road maintenance association members’ resources alone. The condition of the roads does not meet the requirements of all road users. Some of the roads need structural renovations. Most bridges on private roads are owned by road maintenance associations. A majority of the bridges were built in the 60, 70s and 80s, and they no longer meet the current load capacity and traffic safety requirements of bridges. Private roads and the condition of private bridges, in particular, should be surveyed in order to gain an understanding of the condition and characteristics of the entire private road network. It is also important to identify the most significant private roads and bridges to be able to allocate repair efforts to the most important sections of road in terms of functionality of functions and transport chains.